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| The Adepticon trophy isn't this nice. |
Today we finish out the interview with The Independent Characters. We really appreciate Carl, Geoff, and Zach's time with these interviews. This blog focuses on different ways to play and that is always one of their points of emphasis.
Anything you'd like to say about the
Adepticon coverage you'll be doing this year?
Beyond that it’s going to the most
watched program of 2012, Superbowl and Summer Olympics included? It’s
going to be great fun. I think we learned quite a bit from last years
coverage, and we’ve made some really good changes to make it even
better. I’m looking forward to doing tactical/strategic analysis of
the top-tables again this year. I’m sort of professionally
critical, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to watch good players
last year and critique their performances, noting their successful
decisions as well as obvious mistakes. We’ve got several new
features we’re going to be adding
to the coverage this year that we
believe will make for more compelling (and discernable) viewing. I’m
just hoping we get some interesting army-builds in the finals this
year…IG versus Space Wolves, yawn.
What are a few things that you'd like
to get out of the rumored 40k 6th edition this summer?
Oh, man, I’m so excited for this. I
love changes in games. New ways to play with great models is what I’m
always looking for. Like a lot of people I’m hoping for a more
complex scenario or mission generator beyond just the 3 x 3, but I’d
also like to see the game grow in its complexity of rules
somewhat. The 3rd-5th rule sets were
good but are dated, I’d like to see something new and dynamic to
arrive. I’d like a true version 6.0 rather than a 5.1.
I know that many competitive players
are concerned that GW might “fantasy” 40k, as they did with 8th
edition WHFB, with all of the craziness. I’d be fine with that for
40k, as I’ve never thought it was a particularly good competitive-type game
and barring them releasing a tournament game-play subset of rules for
tourneys, 40k seems to function best for fun or narrative play.
Having said that, if 6th could meet both the demands of casual and
serious players, I’d be pretty happy as both could be
viable ways to play this awesome game
with less headaches if the ruleset accounted for all the various ways
its played.
What do you usually look for in a blog
or news site on the web?
New content daily (I need my
distractions!). The less drama and nerd rage, and the more humor and
rumors to keep me excited, the better. This is a game, I’d rather
not take it to seriously and I like to see that reflected in the
sites I visit. I’d love if a site could put together well-reasoned
and executed tactics and strategy articles, stuff beyond just
gimmicks or unit- specific strategies, but that might never happen.
I’m just not sure that even top players necessarily understand what
it is they are doing half of the time. Intuition and practice seems
to account for the successes of many strong players, so articulating
how to be a good general seems to be challenging. This is something
that the ICs will be tackling to an extent in the near future, but as
nothing beats print and visuals for demonstrating the
principles of miniature warfare the
podcast forum could sure use some web-based accompaniment.
Can you tell the readers a little about
the hobby challenge you're taking part in?
Aside from the fact that its making me
blind from all of the edge hi-lighting and it might well earn Geoff a
world-shattering wedgie? Almost a year back Geoff, Carl and I decided
we should get some new armies painted and share the trials, triumphs,
and tribulations with our delightful, engaged
podcast community. It’s an idea
that’s worked elsewhere, and we thought we’d give it a shot to
provide some focus to our hobby-ing for the year (as well as force
Geoff and I to finish some damned armies). It’s been great to see
members of our audience slowly build, paint and grow new 1850 point
lists (with an additional 400 point sideboard). Many fun, well
painted, and spirited armies are taking shape and I can’t wait for
April to see them complete. Plus, the winners are gonna win some very
nice prizes!
How are you prepping the 'guns' to give
the atomic wedgie to Geoff?
It’s a complex regime of fitness and
nutrition…with a little help from, um, “supplements.” Beyond
extensive weight training, I’ve made use of some of my foreign
contacts, some of whom since losing their main “employment” in
the late 1980s, ya know, following the fall of the Eastern Bloc, have
passed along to me some “additives” to provide the extra heft and
leverage I’ll need to do Geoff right and proper. But as I’ve said
on the podcast, I’m pretty sure Geoff will pull it out for
Adepticon. I’ve
got faith in the guy.
From listening to the podcast, it seems
like you are an educator. Do you ever face challenges with 40k and
being an educator? Do the students ever notice and question you, or
parents? Are you a 'proud nerd' when it comes to that or do you keep
it in your basement?
Yes, I am a college instructor (and
scholar of sorts) and it is sometimes an issue I consider whether my
participation in the podcast and the hobby-ing in general might be
viewed weirdly by the academic community or affect my reputation.
Only recently has the serious academic study of games and gaming become a more acceptable topic
for scholarship, and myself and one of my colleagues have begun
working professionally on the intersections of gaming and society,
combining something we’ve always experienced privately with our
professional lives. Regardless, I figure even professors are entitled to hobbies, and more the
better if we can maybe get a little career and hobby overlap.
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| Zach's closet is full of professor jackets. |
Funny story: when I was teaching in
Oregon a student came to visit me during my office hours and he flat
out asked me: “do you play 40k?” I was a tad taken aback because
in the small town where the college was located I hadn’t ever
played. After a moment I admitted I did and asked how he knew
I played, to which the student
responded that apparently I’d mentioned “the hive mind” in a
lecture and such aroused his suspicions. I ended up playing with him
and some of his friends once for the next year or so before I
returned to school myself to get my doctorate. Now I now seed my
lectures and presentations with subtle 40k easter eggs, figuring that
the gamers out there will recognize the messages and come find me.
While I’m not ashamed of my gaming, I
did grow up in the era where gaming was much more under the radar,
and coming up in the hobby I was a “closet gamer” for the most
part, as I was also an athlete, dj, regularly socialized guy, etc.
40k and gaming is just one of the things I do, so I don’t let it
define me though I’m sure I would not be the person I am today
without it and most of the time I feel bad for the ‘normals’ who
live their lives without games.
Is there anything else you'd like to
tell the world?
That I appreciate being asked to do the
interview, for the chance to share a little about myself with the
interwebz and your blog’s readership. I hope I didn’t ramble too
much (it’s a danger with us professorial types). I wanted, also, to
comment on my podcast mates, and just say they’re great guys
who, despite being unable to put up a
challenging game of 40k, are a lot of fun to work with, game with,
and be friends with. They put a lot of hard work into the podcast and
its nice to see them recognized for their efforts. Finally, I always
like to remind myself and others that a game is just a game and to
play it, enjoy it, but don’t forget to get outside every once in a
while (even if you, like me, live on Fenris…)
Excellent interview!
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