Holy cow it's Thursday!!! Interviews don't come out on Thursdays!!! Everything is changing for the worse apparently and things are different forever all because of other things!!!!

What made you choose Destructoid as a community to be a part of??

I honestly can't recall how I found this place. At first I remembered it being a link to Jim Sterling's review of Assassins Creed 2. Yet on second thought I must have been around before then. AC2 was the first game I played on my HD TV, and I got that TV after seeing Dale list it in a Black Friday thread, so...who knows?

The person, or should I say thing that made me want to participate in the community was the Moon Man incident. There was this creature named Valentin who...I don't even know where to start describing what happened there. This f**kin' guy, he was one of the most hilarious trolls I've ever seen. He'd start threads about dressing as a Nazi so he could better appreciate WWII shooters, stuff like that.

At the time the whole forum seemed like some kind of brilliantly twisted metagame. You genuinely couldn't tell if certain people were real, or if they were making stuff up just to mess with your head. I love that kind of thing, so one night I showed up in the Bar with the observation that every Jewish person I've ever known has been a chronic pot smoker. As you may imagine, things have only gone downhill since then.

Where did you get your username and avatar?

The name is an anagram of my real name. The avatar, I made back before ME3 and Arkham City had come out. They were the two games I was looking forward to the most at the time. I've kept it because I'm still a fan of both and I like the design.

Your favorite game?

Mass Effect Trilogy. I'm calling it that because there are three of them.

You favorite game character?

Shane Shepard. He's a high level Paragon Adept who generally does nice things for others. But at the same time all those biotics and Prothean psychic downloads have taken their toll on his mind. So on occasion he may chuck someone out a window just because LOL, or maybe he thought they were a dragon or something.



He's good people, man. Good people.

If you could hug anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

Jim Sterling. Just to prove it can be done.

If you could punch anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

Eh, I wouldn't punch anybody. Unless it was Gatsby, who I would lovingly beat with a whole big bag of hammers. He's basically the Michael Rosenbaum to my Tom Welling.

When I grow up I want to be...

Me.

Now that I've grown I can...

Um, get away with...things? Sorry to be vague but the feds might be reading this.

What game this year are you most excited about?

Mass Effect 3. It's so good you guys! Especially the endings! ;D

If you could find an image online that describes you, what is this image?

I originally intended to post elaborate and well-staged comparison shots of myself and Shane Shepard, but then realized that wasn't what you asked me to do. So on second thought I'll go with this;



My god...You just found out that your childhood friend slept with your sister...WHAT DO YOU DO!!!

Would've been a step up for that kid. Little bastard stole my Optimus Prime. :(

If I were to tell you that you had one day left to live, you would?

Damn straight I would. No point in dying a day early. Imma live it real well too, boss.

What is your most prized possession? (Family and Loved ones don't count)

Either my brother's painting of the moon, or his bolo tie which has an actual scorpion encased in resin.



Hope those count. I have a sentimental attachment to the Spider-man drapes as well. Just not quite as much.

Why do you believe you deserve to be Ms. America?

Because my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.

If you could ask the community a question it would be?

How can we keep this place so that it welcomes intelligent and friendly conversation, as well as the frequently nonsensical and sometimes utterly vile?

See, I may have started out posting here just for laughs and whatnot, but as time went by it evolved into something a little more real. Now I'm planning on going halfway across the country with a guy I've never met, so we can hang out with other Dtoiders for a weekend in June.

And strangely enough, these friendships I speak of, they started with trolling. Trolling, drunk posts, and other unsightly internet bullshit. Some may have a hard time seeing this kind of chaos as a positive force. Yet for others it led to a form of bonding, one that built a sense of community. We made jokes, started shit with each other, before long we were happy to see one another online. Next thing you know we had actually become friends.

It's a fine line which frequently gets blurred, but yeah, it works for some of us.

Have any forum brothers/sisters you want to make a shoutout/death threat/Marriage proposal to?

Right off the top of my head, ZP and Bloodspray. And definitely digitastik because without him, I'd be taking a bus to Bloodspray's aforementioned thing in June. There are a few other guys who haven't been around lately, namely M4TR1X and Revuhlooshun. Also Stevil because I just spoke with him over there in yonder Mass Affection thread. Anyone whose name I'm leaving out, don't feel bad. I'm just kind of randomly adding people here.

As far as death threats, they're pointless because they only let the other guy know you're coming.

Marriage proposal - No one I'd single out in public. Actually, I'll hedge my bets by including every single person in the place. I'm pretty sure that's legal somewhere. Like Utah, maybe. I could totally go Mormon for you guys.

<3 xoxoxo :)

Woah...Where am I? What's this? Eh you know the drill by now people. Pay no attention to the absence and move on with your lives.

What made you choose Destructoid as a community to be a part of?

I'd been reading Destructoid for a few months after hearing of it from somebody in the comments on a 1Up.com news item, but what made me actually sign up and leave all other game sites behind was this article on the 2007 Tokyo Game Show. I remember there being more images in the comments at the time, and I just knew I wanted to be a part of that kind of fun. The fact that there was an "edge" coupled with a sense of humour throughout both the community and the staff convinced me that this was a site I actually wanted to join and become a part of, not just check in on every once in a while.

Where did you get your username and avatar?

Back on the original Xbox my initial subscription to Xbox Live was ending so I decided to start a new gamertag rather than keep my existing one, since nobody seemed capable of pronouncing it (AutonomousAxiom). So I wanted something an idiot could say, and also something "fun". The thought of a zombified platypus came to my mind and struck me as one of the least intimidating zombies a person could come across, so I went with it. I've had too many avatars to number over in the Forums, but on the main page/cblogs it's always been the same. It's something I drew well before joining Dtoid, one of if not the first zombie platypus I drew.



That was from before I settled on my current color scheme, which pretty much swaps the hand/bill color with the fur color, and keeps the tail solid with the fur (as it should be).

Your favorite game?

Really hard question. Possibly Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars or maybe The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Followed closely by about a dozen more games I'd like to list right on the heels of those two.

You favorite game character?

This is an even tougher call than the favorite game question. I'll go with Bowser, King of the Koopas, but there are many more characters I dig.

You do custom avatars for people. What's the process? Who do you decide to make them for and how do you go about designing them?

I'm gonna break this one up a bit. First, I never expect anybody to use the pictures I do as their avatars. If they dig 'em enough to use them, that's cool, but it's not like a thing. I just honestly like making things for people. It gives me motivation to keep at drawing, so it's kind of from a selfish place as well, but yeah.

My process is pretty archaic, since I'm pretty out of touch and don't know what I'm doing, just picking stuff up as I go along. I draw stuff out using a mechanical pencil in my sketch pad, then ink over it and erase the extra pencil scribbles. Then I scan it into my laptop using my decade old HP all-in-one printer. From there I use [url=paint.net]paint.net[/url] (FREE! (LEGALLY!!)) to delete all of the white space, then I darken the lines, blur and sharpen it all to thicken and smooth my lines, then I add layers and color. All using the touchpad "mouse" built into my crappy laptop. I sooooo know what I'm doing, you guys. ;)



As for who I decide to make pictures for, that really depends on if they fall into a given project I'm doing or are just random. A couple years ago in the Forums I did a bunch of "Beastoid" pics, which was basically just me drawing the bodies of mythological creatures onto photos of people only using paint.net. My big pet project is "Title Shots", which I put more real effort into and go through all the convoluted steps I listed above. For that it's just me drawing interpretations of different users' custom Forum titles. It started as an excuse for me to draw my buddy Aurain's title, "Bearjection!" and grew from there and now I've done fifty-four of them as of right now, not counting certain jokey alternates. There's no rhyme or reason to whose title I do next, just if an idea strikes me I do it. For instance, for one guy I've had an idea in my head for months but every time I try to draw it out it doesn't live up to my own expectations, so it's yet to be finished. I'm not great, but I have standards. Then there's the random pics I've drawn for certain people, and shoops. We used to do a lot more shoops down there in the Forums, and those are always a good time.

Oh yeah, recently I also drew cartoon versions of fifteen of our crotches, because Sam Gobbldigook had a dream in which I did so.

It's kind of a long story.

If you could hug anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

Everybody I've already hugged from Dtoid, and probably a dozen or more folks that I've yet to.

If you could punch anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

I'd go for an out of body experience and punch myself right in the face as hard as possible. I have it coming.

When I grow up I want to be…

Funny and happy. I could list a few of my dream jobs from when I was a kid, because they still apply, but if I can make other people feel good and feel good myself that's all I want.

Now that I’ve grown I can…

Leave my NES on all night without putting a book in front of it so my parents don't see the red light and turn it off while I sleep.

Yep.

What game this year are you most excited about?

Mass Effect 3. Oh look, it's here!!

Seriously, that's the only game I really care about this year, and it's already sitting in my 360 as I type this.

If you could find an image online that describes you, what is this image?



My god...You just found out that your childhood friend slept with your sister...WHAT DO YOU DO!!!

Depends on the friend. If it's Justin I'd slap him on the back, welcome him to the family and ask him where the hell he's been. We should've stayed in contact, man!

If it's Nathaniel I'd tell him I'm surprised because I always assumed he'd be into cock by now.

If it's Jack I'd tell him to stay the hell away from my sister because that dude is a giant fuck up.

If it's Jared I'd tell him to stay the hell away from my sister because DUDE, you're married with kids, bro!

If I were to tell you that you had one day left to live, you would?

I'd hop in my car and drive. I don't even know where, East or West, but I'd just start driving. Along the way I'd be making phone calls to the people that matter, and in between calls I'd be blaring my iPod.

What is your most prized possession? (Family and Loved ones don’t count)

I thought long and hard about this, but I'm going to say it's my Phantomato of the Opera toy from when I was a kid. Ever since I rediscovered it early last year he's kind of become my mascot. I love it.



Why do you believe you deserve to be Ms. America?

Because it's about time an overweight man got to be crowned Ms. America. For too long my demographic has sat idly by while the title has been given to society's definition of "beauty". We can be purdy too, damn it!

While we're at it, I'd like to be Miss Teen America instead. Who cares that I'm twenty-seven? I'm still twenty at heart, and that's close enough to teenaged!!

If you could ask the community a question it would be?

Why so fragmented and cliquey? I know it's kinda sorta always been that way, but we really seem to get more and more divided as time goes on. I have little room to talk since I'm one of those mean Forums kids, but there should be more of a sense of community in our community. It comes out just fine at gatherings and meet-ups, PAXs and MAGfests, but on the site we're so split up between main page, Forums, the video kids, multiple skype groups, irc (does anybody actually use that still?) and on and on. I dunno, some people walk between multiple facets without a problem (Stevil), but I just feel like there's a dwindling sense of real site-wide "community".

So, Community, why don't we try to work towards that?

(Law's Notes: I still got it baby)

The holidays are a good time to look back and figure out what made you happy the past couple of months. Ignoring the higher crime rates around this time the feeling of goodwill, generosity, and cheer are all around and its good to always be surrounded by this positive energy.

With that in mind let's see what some of the people around Destructoid are thankful for~

Alphadeus

I am thankful for all the great friends I have. This includes everyone
I got to know at Destructoid while working on volume 1 of the
community album. I have never come across a community with such great
people before. People that genuinely care and support one another. I
never expected to find my home at a gaming community, where people are
usually filled with piss and anger for some reason. But Destructoid is
different. Destructoid is just great people. I am also thankful for my
girlfriend. We will have been together 12 years next February and
we're still going strong (although next year is a make or break year
for me in general). She has always stood beside me even during the
hardest times of my life. She is the main reason I'm still alive
today.

Happy Holidays.

Hamza Aziz

I'm thankful for my amazing hair.

Yup.



AwesomeExMachina

What am I thankful for this holiday? Well, I can certainly appreciate that so many incredible games came out in the past few months. So many that it's already the end of the year and I'm still playing catch-up. No boring January game woes for me.

It's also a blessing that my PC is so obsolete at this point that there is no chance I can get completely addicted to Star Wars: The Old Republic. Instead, I can keep up with my job as a video game news writer; a role I obtained solely through my time and experience as a Destructoid C-Blogger.

But, most of all, I'm thankful that even though my contributions to the C-Blogs have fallen off sharply, that doesn't stop me from getting to play games with the best of the best of the Dtoid community on a regular basis. You're all the best.

SteezyXL

This answer might be common among our group but:

I'm most thankful for getting to meet most of my Dtoid friends this year at PAX. I literally met everyone I wanted to meet and then some. It was the best 4 days of my life. :)



Manasteel88

What Am I Most Thankful For This Holiday...

Obviously I'm thankful for a group of family and friends that allow me to have a hobby like this. I'm thankful for a community that (I assume) likes my writing enough to actually finish a blog when I get long winded. I'm thankful that I have enough money to pay for this hobby and when I don't, I am thankful this hobby has gotten large enough to facilitate some freebies here and there. I'm thankful that I have yet to get baited in to a fanboy war and I'm thankful that there are people that care enough to help bolster these hobbies I enjoy.

That's all the mushy stuff though, simply enough, I'm thankful that after 20 full years of gaming, I can still find something fascinating in the products I pick up. I remember blowing in cartridges, anti-piracy wheels and being absolutely amazed by Tetris. To be able to look at games after this period of time with a new angle and a new interest is what I'm thankful for.

Most importantly, I'm thankful to the people that have taken their time to think of me as a part of the Destructoid community. I'm a really reserved kind of person who doesn't throw himself out there much, but when I do, people haven't pushed me aside or ignored me. That's something I'm super appreciative of.

I love you guys and have a happy holidays ya'll.

OccamsElectricToothbrush

What am I most thankful for?

Of course I am thankful to my friends and my family but that's kind of a given in my waking world. They'll always be badass to me. When I think about everything this site and the people on it have done for me, I am floored. The friends I have made on Destructoid and having the chance to write my nonsensical rainbow thought ejaculations that people seem to like. Its simply wonderful. I say this thing about making an e-house into an e-home when it comes to Destructoid. What that means to me is that Destructoid isnt simply about video games or news or the C-Blogs or Forums or Outer Heaven. Its about the people. The personalities and the voices. The inside jokes and the silliness. (I mean, "Also, Cocks" could and should be an album title.) It has given me renewed faith in others (except those white people who wear crocs) and in a sense myself. I have found acceptance and love and friendship here and I will always be grateful for that. I can never repay Destructoid and my friends here for every lovely moment and happy smile, but I can try, one picture of an erotic puppet show at at time.

Bill Zoeker

All of my friends I've met at Destructoid as well as fit Asian boys dressed as mercenary pirates.



Knutaf

Well, I was going to give my typical answer to "what are you most thankful for?" but I noticed you affixed the qualifier, "this holiday", which scopes down the question quite a bit. Well, for this specific holiday, I'm thankful for good family in town, really good food we're cooking, good games we're playing (Rayman: Origins!), and all around good times.

Johnny Luchador

This holiday Season, I am most thankful for those little Umbrellas they put in my drinks. For they protect my beverage from liquids that may be falling from the sky or from rogue Rudos trying to use cross arm bars on me and remove my mask. I am also thankful this holiday season for all the support from Destructoid for believing in Bill Zoeker and I on our live broadcasts. For the community has been wonderful in giving two guys a chance to entertain and unite the gaming community. I finally am thankful for the chance that Rajin Cajun: Bayou Billy 2 might happen in 2012, we can hope, dream and fight for this awesome prophecy to become a reality.



Wrenchfarm

In real life? I'm most thankful for my amazing family. I know its a somewhat worn and trite answer, but its true. Life would not be worth living without them.

In videogameland? DARK SOULS BABY. I love it when devs aren't afraid to break the mould and risk alienating the mainstream, and Dark Souls breaks every rule in the modern design book.

Ryu89

SWTOR and the Steam Holiday Sale. Bought the Humble Indie Bundle~

Frogboss

Much like Zoeker, I am thankful for all the friends I made thanks to Destructoid and the TwitchTv channel oh and vidja games

Brett Zeidler

This Holiday Season I'm thankful for the most amazing year I've ever had; getting hired on at Destructoid as a contributor, all the now close friends I've met this year through the community of Dtoid and finally starting to study computer science, which is what I've always wanted to do ever since I could remember. All these experiences have shaped the person I am today and I absolutely can't wait to see what's in store for me in 2012.

Blu

I'm thankful for #BestSkypetoid.

Mr. Andy Dixon

I'm most thankful for my daughter. Watching her eyes light up as she discovers new things reminds me that there's still wonder left in the world, and for that I owe her more than I'll ever be able to repay.



These are just a handful of Dtoiders~

What are you guys thankful for this holiday?

Happy Holidays everyone. Stay warm, eat well, and be happy~

Here is another interview for the week of November!

Community member discusses his love of games and his wife in today's C-Blog Interviews!!!

Also another hiatus yaaaaay....



• What made you start blogging and why Destructoid?

Honestly I don't even remember how I found Destructoid. I think I was searching for weaboo video game news and I happened upon a Jonathan Holmes post! I bookmarked the particular story and as fate would have it, I kept digging through the site and found some pieces by Jim Sterling. Due to this dynamic duo, I decided to stick around and make my first blog post about Lord of the Rings Conquest - I kept writing and about a month later I got a gig at a website that I am still writing for.

• Where did you get your username and avatar?

My username is "Magna", for Magna-Centipede of Mega Man X2 (one of my favorite robot masters), and "lon" (shortened "long") for "Shenlong", the mythological Chinese dragon/Gundam Suit. My avatar is Legato Bluesummers from Trigun - my favorite anime series.

• Your favorite game? Too simple? Your favorite scene from your favorite game.

Much to many's dismay, my favorite game is Resident Evil 5. Yep, among my other top five classy pics like Lunar and Skies of Arcadia, the steroid-heavy Resident Evil 5 is at the very top. Why? Because my wife and I had a blast playing coop, I beat it around 4 times the week of launch, it's absolutely packed with more content than any other action game I have, and I've played the extra "Mercenaries Mode" for a couple hundred hours.

So what's my favorite scene? Easily the boss showdown with Jill and Wesker - I'll make my wife go back and play that on a higher difficulty occasionally just because I love that encounter. Wesker is one of my favorite video game characters of all time, and the dynamic of one player fighting Jill, while the other handles/is stalked by Wesker is really unique.



• You recently completed every Zelda game this year. And act like that would probably open the gates to Nirvana...Did you go to Nirvana?

I actually am a Philosophy/Religion Major so...I hope! I believe in lots of meditation and I find games extremely therapeutic. There's an activity in many RPGs/MMOs called "grinding", that a lot of people either find tedious, or call out as a lazy mechanic. Personally, I think it's a really good way to unwind - I just put on some trance music (my favorite sub-genre of Electronica), chill out, and watch the numbers go up! I guess that's sort of like Nirvana 0_0

• If you could hug anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

That's a hard question! I've already hugged Jonathan Holmes and Jim (too easy!)...

It's probably a three way (tie) between MrAndyDixon, Arttemis, and garrison - I've known all of them on Dtoid a long time, and they've put up with me quite a bit. I'm extremely grateful for all the long term community members that keep in contact with me - ::sniff::

• If you could punch anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

He's not technically on the site anymore under this name, but, Hoborg. Anyone remember him? ::cue nightmares::

• When I grow up I want to be…

As Mia Sara once said in Ferris Bueller's Day Off - "I have no idea!"

I studied Philosophy and Law as an Undergrad - I thought that I was ready for a career path as a Paralegal, then Law School - an experience at a Property Law firm really turned me off, and now I'm pursuing my real passion - technology. If I had to pick one profession that I was pretty sure I'd enjoy for the rest of my life though, It would probably be a Network Admin gig at a corporation I liked.

• Now that I’ve grown I can…

Buy lots of games! Wait...I got a job at 15 just to feed my gaming and anime DVD addiction...

• You say that you have strong opinions on the financial decisions of some game companies. Care to name a few of these corporations and explain these opinions?

Haha yeah I did say that! Hmmm...

The point I was trying to make is that people sometimes see me get heated in the comments, but I never try to make it personal. I think it's much, much harder to call out these big companies than sit down and take it like a wet dog. I think a lot of consumers don't understand that even these "white knight" companies like Nintendo are still trying to make a buck - we're all dollar signs to them.

One particular corporation that I am constantly at odds with is Nintendo. As a Nintendo fan since 5, I have played just about every first party Nintendo game there is - including Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns. I am still very much a Nintendo video game fan - I just haven't enjoyed any of their hardware since the Gamecube and their online support is a joke. Their reasoning behind the lack of online support for Starfox 64 was tenuous at best; and my eShop and WiiWare wallet has been pretty full lately.

Another contentious company is Sony - they make a lot of weird decisions that inversely effect my enjoyment of the PS3. People say Sony is a bastion for Indie games, but I just don't see it. The "Minis" program is absolutely abysmal, and Xbox Live has more indie games and shmups than I can shake a stick at. There are times where I'll literally buy 5-6 original Xbox Live games in a month, and even though I'll literally be begging for original PSN releases, I won't get them.

You asked for a rant, and you got one! <3

• What game this fall season are you most excited about?

It's a two way tie between Dark Souls and Zelda: Skyward Sword. Obviously since I've had my Zelda marathon this year I'm excited about a new proper Zelda release, but Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to one of my favorite games of all time - thank goodness their a month apart!

• If you could find an image online that describes you, what is this image?

(This isn't me, but I strive to have every system/handheld - I can't miss anything!)



• There is a woman who seems to be looking in your general direction with a peculiar look on her face. As she comes up to you, you quickly say….

"Before you ask: I'm married".

• Why do you believe you deserve to be Ms. America?


Because, I'll give you cats.




• If I were to tell you that you had one day left to live, you would?

Spend it with my wife.



• What is your most prized possession? (Family and Loved ones don’t count)

My PS2 collection - I have a ton of gems in there, and have bought 2 PS2 systems in addition to my backwards compatible PS3 just to preserve it.

• If you could ask the community a question it would be?

"Who's your favorite contributor that you wish was full-time staff?"

Damn Scots! They're ruinin Scotland! - Groundskeeper Willie.

Is it racist of me to use Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons as my source of all things Scotland? Possibly.

Is it racist of me to use Groundskeeper Willie as the source of all my questions about Scotland? Yes.

So in summary, I am racist and this is a great interview.


• What made you start blogging and why Destructoid?

I started blogging at Destructoid right about the same time I discovered the site. I'd already been writing a small music blog for a few months, which was mainly for my friends but Destructoid seemed to promote and be able to get people to look at what you wrote. I'd been playing more and more games at that point because I was living in my own place and had a job that granted plenty of free time. I wrote a few articles, got the feel of it then tried to commit to writing more regularly.

• Where did you get your username and avatar?

I've been called Ali D for a long time. In Scotland, if your name is Alasdair, then people will normally call you Ally or Ali for short. I had a close friend in primary school called Alastair Torrey, so in my circle of friends, he was Ali T and I was Ali D. The name stuck and I've used it ever since. My avatar was drawn by the brilliant ZombiePlatypus as part of his Thread Titles program. He's been drawing forum members personal titles and seeing as how I am the beard master, it seemed very fitting.

• Your favorite game? Too simple? Your favorite scene from your favorite game.

My favourite game is Deus Ex but I really love Team Fortress 2, Super Mario Bros 3 and GTA Vice City. I think my favourite part is wandering around Hong Kong, feeling that there was this actual living, breathing city in the game. Deus Ex's freedom has always been intoxicating to me and this is why I really enjoyed Human Revolution.

• So you're Scottish? Wait...Let me rephrase that. How many people look at you and quote Groundskeeper Willie when you're in America?

I think it's either a blessing or a curse that the most famous Scottish people that pop into people's heads are all fictional; Groundskeeper Willie, Scotty from Star Trek, Fat Bastard, Shrek.... yeah, thanks Mike Myers. I'm lucky if someone goes like "Oh Scotland, you mean like Sean Connery or Euan MacGregor?". Most of the time, people are just disappointed I'm not Irish.

• If you could hug anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

If I could hug anyone..... I don't think I could pick. I like dishing out hugs to anyone. Next time someone sees me at a Detructoid event, demand a hug. I will give you one.

• If you could punch anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

If I could punch anyone, it's probably be Gobun. Because he's a big guy and could probably take it. We like to mess with each other a lot; I punch him in the ribs, he sexually abuses me whilst I sleep. You know, the normal.

• When I grow up I want to be…

When I grow up I want to be ..... someone else.



• Now that I’ve grown I can…

Now that I've grown up I'm a little less worried about the future. I just turned 31 recently and without wanting to bore anyone, I've gone through some shit in the last 18 months. Life has changed dramatically and I've just been finding my feet. I think now, I can kinda stop worrying. I'm prepared to just accept what life gives me and work with it.

• You are one of many individuals on this website with magnificent beards...What separates your beard from everyone else's?

My beard is fairly amazing. I think the thing that confuses people is how thick the hair actually is, it's like wire. I regularly find that I get small bits of beard hair stuck in the grooves of my finger tips. Mind you, I do use a tea tree oil and conditioner on my hair to keep it as soft as I can.

• Are you willing to let me grease you up? (To avoid being creepy, refer to this video before giving me that look: I'm Not a weirdo)

I would be willing for a greasing up. As everyone knows, there's nairy an animal alive that can outrun a greased up Scotsman. In actual fact, that should be an augment in the next Deus Ex game, an ability to grease yourself up when you're in a vent.

• What game this fall season are you most excited about?

This Fall (or as we call it in the UK, Autumn) I'm excited for Batman Arkham City the most. I really enjoyed the first one and the sequel is looking even better. I'm gonna get Dark Souls as well as I don't have a PS3, so I missed out on Demon Souls. Skyrim is looking great too but I wonder if I should just hold off and get a GOTY edition with all the DLC?

• If you could find an image online that describes you, what is this image?

This, courtesy of the great PappDukes:



• There is a woman who seems to be looking in your general direction with a peculiar look on her face. As she comes up to you, you quickly say….

As the woman approaches, I say "No madame, I don't actually sell drugs I just look like a dealer."

• Why do you believe you deserve to be Ms. America?

As Ms America I would have to say my geographical knowledge is second to none. Did you know Australia has one of the lowest population densities on Earth, just above Outer Mongolia?



• If I were to tell you that you had one day left to live, you would?

If I had one day left to live, I'd probably sit around crying a fair amount and feel sorry for myself. Then I think I'd just dick around on the internet and do my usual stuff. I'm a horrible procrastinator and rarely feel a sense of urgency.

• What is your most prized possession? (Family and Loved ones don’t count)

I don't really have a prized possession; moving from Scotland to Australia and back again has kinda rid me of a lot of ephemeral stuff in my life. I've never really been into material possessions, I'm much to pragmatic and practical for that. I mean my laptop here is an important possession as it's got all my music on it, it's how I interact with a lot of people, how I play games etc etc. Mind you, I have this blanket I bought when I was on holiday, briefly in Mexico. It's this hand woven, thick woollen blanket. I've had it about 15 years now and I do have an attachment to it.

• This question includes or makes reference to some form of Scottish stereotype...Answer as you please.

Well I mean I am drunk right now but I need to stop drinking at some point because I need to finish eating this deep fried haggis in whiskey batter, before putting on my kilt so I can go out and buy some heroin. Whilst swearing a lot.

• If you could ask the community a question it would be?

I've not really got a question, more a request. If you're new to the community, get stuck in. Check out the forums, blog regularly, check out the shows on JTV and Revision 3, get involved in emailer groups... there's plenty happening. The site isn't just the frontpage, there's plenty happening all over and it's good to be able to dip your toes in all of it.

So yeah...I went ahead and left this top portion blank because after I finished editing and adding the bbcodes I went off and had some ice cream.

So today we have often heard and often seen Master Snake to share his wonderful word thoughts and introduce to people a wonderful little image. Enjoy~

•What made you come over here to Destructoid?

- I forget how I found this place, but what made me stay definitely was the awesome community. Also, I got tired of sites like IGN, GameTrailers. This place has a different vibe to it, and it's great to be here.

•Where did you get your username and avatar?

- I got from when I was a MGS fan about a good 6 years ago. It was my user name on 1up first and I had someone from there make my avatar. I'm not as much a MGS fan as I was before, but the name stuck, so I decided to keep using it.

• Your favorite game? Too simple? Your favorite scene from your favorite game?

- My favorite game is Okami. Everything about that game is gold. Favorite scene is whenever you revive a Guardian Sapling and the world burst alive with color again. It's like when you open a bag of Skittles or Fruity Pebbles too hard and they come spraying out of the bag into the air. So beautiful.

• You just comment huh? Never wanted to write a blog? You seem to have pretty good ideas.

- Yeah, I'm mainly a front page commenter and c-blogs second. I've thought about blogging from time to time, but I just think that whatever idea I could blog about could be (and probably has been) said many times better by other, better c-bloggers like Elsa or The Silent Protagonist. I've been here long enough though that I'll probably start to attempt to blog at some point.

• If you could hug anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

- Definitely Jonathon Holmes. He seems like he gives great hugs. It feels like you would feel safe with him in your arms. That probably came out wrong. Or did it?

• If you could punch anyone on Dtoid who would it be?

- Any and every troll on Dtoid. *Glares menacingly at Sofik & Jimmy* I would especially punch any new member who makes a new account just to complain and insult Jim in one of his articles or reviews. About that one review or article! That annoys me to no end.



• You didn't even write a bio? How am I supposed to ask you about things if things remain hidden?

- My bad. I didn't even think about the bio section when I signed up, though I filled out the usual info (name, b-day, etc.). I just wanted to sign up and get to commenting. I'll probably fill that out as soon as I get the chance. I'll also need to get a nice banner. I'll probably find someone from here to make a banner for me,. Because, you know, SYMPATHY.

• What game this fall season are you most excited about?

- Well the only game systems I own are a PS2, GBA SP and DS Lite, so in terms of games I'm excited about that I can actually play, that just leaves the DS. For that, I'm excited for Solatorobo and Aliens: Infestation. I'm sad I had to cancel my Solatorobo pre-order because of financial reasons, but as soon as I get the cash, those two games are mine! Even though I don't own a current console, I am excited about Rayman Origins and Kirby: Return to Dreamland. Those games look fabulous. Maybe if I finally ever get a Wii I'll be grabbing those.

• If you could find an image online that describes you, what is this image?

- It would have to be this one because that's how I feel most of the time.



• There is a woman who seems to be looking in your general direction with a peculiar look on her face. As she comes up to you, you quickly say….

- See the picture above!

• Why do you believe you deserve to be Ms. America?

- Because, like Highlander, THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! Plus I would like, totally, like, change the world and stuff and junk and then caught on TMZ snorting bongs and having orgies because that's what being Ms. America is all about, right? Right?

• If I were to tell you that you had one day left to live, you would?

- I would decide who get my stuff, say goodbye to my loved ones and then play my PS2 while I wait for the end.

• What is your most prized possession? (Family and Loved ones don’t count)

- It definitely would have to be my PS2 with my collection of 250+ games (and counting!) Like I said in the fall season question, the PS2 is the only console I own. I love it. It reminds of a time when gaming was all about gaming and not about trying to do everything else under the sun because TECHNOLOGY. The sad part is I say that like it was long time ago when it was only a console generation ago. The PS2 has gotten me through some pretty low lows in my life and while I wouldn't bat an eye if the PS3 or 360 disappeared tomorrow, I couldn't imagine my life without the PS2. I'll most likely be playing and collecting games for this console until I'm gray. I don't mean to sound fanboyish towards older consoles or anything, but that's just the way I feel.

• If you could ask the community a question it would be?

- I would like of any artistically awesome members who do banners for profiles. Like I mentioned above, I'll probably start prettying up my profile page with a banner. Something that matches my avatar, similar to ManWithNoName's banner.