Staff Col_StaR's Ask Me Anything!

[RC_4777]

Getting yelled at by kids 1/2 my age.
Having misguided parents threaten to sue the network/report us to the police.
Being called corrupt and biased by people who don't understand what those words mean.

These sound absolutely wonderful. I'd love to find out more about that sometime XD

For the time being I only have one short question, but I figure I can ask this now and think of something else later. What are your favorite websites? I'd be interested to know what kind of other sites you frequent.

 

[Scott]

5. When I was 14, I wrote a 303 page, 109,545 word fiction book as a hobby, titled, "The Soldier Among Us".
The premise starts with a black-ops-trained child soldier is reintroduced to civilian life as an American high school student after their unit is decommissioned. He struggles to adjust to civilian life, but after his school is caught up in an invasion of the United States by an unknown organization, he steps back into service. With himself, a rag-tag team of volunteers, and a convoy full of refugees and students under his leadership, he has to guide them out of enemy territory and back to safety, no matter the costs. (God, that premise is awful... but that's what 14 year old avid-Tom-Clancy-fan-me liked.)

Can I buy it?

Very interesting answers, Col.

 

[Mooclan]

Ah, I was wondering when this thread might pop up.

Throughout all your experiences of interacting with other people, either online or in the physical world, what are some valuable lessons that you have learned and would like to share with other people?

What are some flaws that you notice among the staff members? Off the top of your head, what are some ways that you would like to see them put forth effort to improve themselves?

^ Same question, only for community members. Whether it be average players, big names like YouTubers/Streamers/VIPs, or prominent members in the clan/forums scene(s).

What were some of the qualifications that Chad took notice of when he hired you as Community Manager?
What are some skills that are necessary for your position?
(I'm primarily asking this because you're a large role model for me, as a person who has taken gaming administration to the next level. I'm personally interested in perhaps seeking to follow a similar path, and I would like to develop skills that would be useful for such work.)

(Entering a CS:GO game with friends for the first time in ages. I intend to ask more questions at a later date!)

 

[Hound]

can u trickshot? please support ur answer with evidence.

 

[Col_StaR]

How did you develop such a sense of humor?

Also, post a selfie

What humor?

In all seriousness, I don't know. It's natural from my up-bringing, I guess. I get most of it from my parents, some of it from my friends, and a little bit from the internet.

One thing I've noticed is that I am terrible with Cards Against Humanity, because my sensitivity of crude/disgusting/inappropriate humor has been worn down by years of exposure to the internet.
Furthermore, my jokes are occasionally referential to politics, history, or intellect, which have the same approval ratings as Congress right now.
So I often fall upon self-depricating humor, because I can take a joke and because I have the same self-worth as a piece of roadkill.

And your second statement is not a question.

Any specific reasons (that you're willing to share) that kept you so private about a lot of info?

Two years later, has that changed at all? Have you ever considered playing MCSG on your downtime? (That is, when you have it )

Ah, here's one that I'd love to discuss with someone, seeing as we're currently studying US economics in the early to mid 20th century. What are your opinions on the current state of the economy?

What type of President do you see best fitted for pulling us out of this recession? I've heard that technically speaking, we're in worse shape than Greece.

The only thing keeping America going is the people who haven't "given up". What would you do if the American people eventually gave up, or something else happened that would cause us to fold? Honestly, some of these questions I don't even know enough about to have answers for myself, but I'd love to see opinions

And of course, what is your favorite color?

1. I've remained anonymous and private because of some bad experiences in my early career as a community manager. Let's just say that someone mailed something to me, and that's when I realized just how one's actions over the internet could affect real life. Ever since then, I've made a point to separate my internet life from my real life as much as possible, a precaution that I am shocked to learn this generation takes little interest in. I never voice chatted with anyone online until I was 18, never used a web cam until I was 21, and I never put my real name somewhere the public could see it until I joined this network.

I still want to maintain that distinction after all is said and done. I suggest you all do the same as well.

2. I'll admit it: I actually don't have much interest in actually playing Minecraft on my own time. Now that I've been working for it for 2 years now, it subconsciously looks like work to me; working is a better use of my time overall anyways. But if I am pressured into playing a game, I still get a kick out of it. It's a matter of simply getting started.

3. America's economy is in bad shape, but we are far from a "failed country" despite what people on both sides will say. You'll find that the people who talk the loudest about the economy being, "doomed" or "futile" or, "owned by China" are usually people with poor understanding of economies in general. In fact, I think the complexity of the economy paired with its current sour tones has elevated the national economy to a sort of myth-status, as if it's a religious diety who grants money based on favor. But it's not: it's an imperfect science that is arguably less hard science and more social science, but with billion dollar bills.

America still has the highest GDP of any country ($17.418 Trillion), with China still lagging relatively behind (but catching up soon). Our workforce is largely educated, and can easily transfer that skill and knowledge to the global market. Our economy is globalized, meaning we have plentiful markets to buy and sell from. We have a ton of incredibly-productive people. We are the cutting edge of computer tech, aerospace, and other high-level industries that most other countries could only dream of having. We are trading old-style industries (notably manufacturing) for newer, more valuable service-oriented industries (like accounting). And, perhaps above all else, we have the most monetary worth of any nation in the world- perhaps ever in history, making us an economic power house.

But that being said, America is screwed up in so many ways. The economy itself isn't the issue, but the countless other issues have consequences that impact the economy as a whole: wealth inequality, government corruption, government inefficiency, shoddy foreign policy, poor spending habits, a social mindset that does not mesh with the globalized society, etc. If we can fix those issues, perhaps using a smaller, more successful country as an example, the country would be in impeccable shape.

4. In order to end a recession, you have to pump money into the system in order to stimulate the economy and restore equilibrium; FDR did this with his New Deal, Obama did this with his stimulus packages. If you restrict the amount of money in a system that is already drained of money, you only make the country drier for cash with hardly any savings.

Democrats will throw government money into the system to stimulate the economy. Conservatives will save government money from being used in the system, and then force the economy to adjust to its new, drier climate. For all the hate that Obama got for his economic policies in the 2008 recession, many economists agree that it was the right choice; the typical government and corporate bungling is what made the plan as ineffective as it was.

Also, whoever told you that we were in an economic situation worse than Greece doesn't know what they're talking about.
In 2008, the US GDP per Capita went from $48k to $47k (2% loss) before recovering entirely by 2010 and continuing to grow since then.
Greece's GDP per Capita went from $31k to $29k (6% loss) in that same period of time, and it has continued to fall since then. The current GDP/C is $22k, a net 29% loss since the recession. The country's GDP took a relatively minor hit after extensive work by the EU economists, but the country bled out 1/3 of its money with no end in sight.
I'd love to talk about Greece's economic failures. It's a horror story of national infrastructure.

5. In the purely hypothetical situation of America defaulting on its debt, look to other failed states for inspiration and learn from their history. Then arm yourself for the anarchy that would follow, since a failure of government means no law enforcement, which means that it's every man for himself. I doubt we'd go anarchy Mad-Max style or the Road, but more like the Weirmar Republic: some semblance of order and civility (since people don't forget that just because they all lost their jobs), but a dramatic increase in violence and decrease in standards of living until a new working government order is established (it shouldn't take long, especially if other countries are willing to absorb us/help us reestablish ourselves).

6. Favorite Color: Azure Radiance (Hex: #OA78FF)
I'm a sucker for the color blue. I used that color in my avatar particularly because I feel it embodies many characteristics I embody or appreciate: calmness, coolness, order, peace, the color of the ocean, and the hue of the sky.
I'll also admit that I'm a sucker for a girl is wearing such a bold, beautiful, confident shade of blue. Too bad it's not more popular in the current fashion world.

Who has most influenced you the most in your life?

Would ever consider getting a MLP onesie?

1. Parents, no question. I got more than just genes from them, and they've helped shape me in nearly every aspect.

2. No, I'm not a fan of onesies in general. And I don't wear much MLP merch at all; my fashion style is more on the conservative side, so I don't like big brands, labels, symbols, or images on what I wear. I only have a Rainbow Dash hoodie that I wear at home when it's cold.

That being said, I did at one time seriously consider naming a hypothetical future daughter Twilight at one time; Twyla is the closest actual name, but it hardly sounds as pleasant and elegant as Twilight does. Too bad Stephanie Meyers ruined that name with her "book" series.

Have I mentioned Twilight Sparkle is Best Pony?

 

[MattZeeX]

Nearly getting run over at the same time in Singapore last year.

Sorry to turn a threatening situation into a joke, but did you play on US servers over there? Haha, second last Asia server joke, I promise.

When I was 14, I wrote a 303 page, 109,545 word fiction book as a hobby, titled, "The Soldier Among Us".
The premise starts with a black-ops-trained child soldier is reintroduced to civilian life as an American high school student after their unit is decommissioned. He struggles to adjust to civilian life, but after his school is caught up in an invasion of the United States by an unknown organization, he steps back into service. With himself, a rag-tag team of volunteers, and a convoy full of refugees and students under his leadership, he has to guide them out of enemy territory and back to safety, no matter the costs. (God, that premise is awful... but that's what 14 year old avid-Tom-Clancy-fan-me liked.)

That actually sounds like a really cool book, a stereotypical young teenager book, but it still sounds really cool!

From the point of view of a Christian, I feel as if I can relate from the other side of the spectrum. I wholeheartedly believe God exists, and am active within my church community, however it isn't all fun and games. Being a person of intellect, I know a solid argument when I see one, and it's been a struggle for me in Bio right now, as we're covering evolution. The thing I don't like, however, is when people say that the two cannot coexist. In fact, some things in Darwin's teachings confirm things about the bible and vice versa. Either way, there are still some very clashing things in there, and it's challenged my belief.

At the end of the day, it comes down to this. I can see the world as it was made from God, and from science, but when I look at the simple things of life that we live every day such as love, care, and the beautiful world and universe put in front of us, it's hard to not see divine beauty.

A few months ago I watched a presentation on something similar to this. Essentially it says that the way evolution works, is that it seems almost impossible that there is no outside figure (a god figure) controlling it. Apparently some scientists are actually freaking out because they may have found God exists, but so does Science, so is God a Scientist? I feel as if I phrased this really poorly, but essentially what I got out of it was:

• Evolution is different from how most people see it (the whole ape to man thing).
• There is a strong amount of evidence supporting a "god" figure in evolution.
• Scientists are going crazy because somehow both Science and God may exist.

I still feel as if I phrased this poorly but, I hope you get the idea. I'm at school and tired right now.

 

[Col_StaR]

And who doesn't love my little pony?

• As you are my role model, who do you actually look up to?

• Do you have any future plans or goals that you wish to realize on the MCGamer Network and/or IRL?

• Are you single or does our Colonel has a crush on someone?

0. A lot of people don't hate the show, but they gladly hate on the people who like it. I've actually been chewed out by a few people for casually mentioning that I liked the show. Heck, even Bic told me to, "get out" in a threatening tone after I admitted it on TeamSpeak; I later pulled him aside and asked him if that was going to be an issue between us, and he thankfully admitted it was a joke.

Personally, I've never had an issue with other Bronies other than the typical fandom drama and the personality types that every such community draws. I don't hate anyone for what they associate themselves with; I hate them for how they act, with or without that association.

1. First of all, I am honored to be someone's role model. I am humbled, Neph.

To answer your question, my role models are definitely my parents, of course. Their personalities and attitudes have helped shape me into who I am today.

But I'll admit that I also find role models in important historical figures. Military leaders whose conquests changed the world. Social reformers who found glory with the betterment of their fellow man. And even the people who don't make the history books, whose struggles and tribulations may be minor in the scope of our history, but nonetheless find themselves as lone men and women enduring the day-to-day ordeals of their extraordinary lives. I may have only lived 23 years of a modestly-exciting life, but I may live many extraordinary lifetimes by learning the history of those who came before me.

I'm going to use this as a change to plug one of my favorite websites, http://www.badassoftheweek.com/ . It's bite-sized stories of amazing characters in history, written in such a way that is as exciting as it is bad-donkey. Best of all: it's all history, so it's all true.

2. Goals in MCGamer?

• More EU, AU Trials.
  
• Official Clan Leaderboards.
  
• At least one video of an in-game event akin to my eSports idea.
  
• Preparing the staff for the summer rush.
  
• Maybe a game or two before I retire.

Goals in life?

• Finish my degree, follow it up with a graduate degree.
• Get a stable, satisfying job that pays at least $75k/year (which studies estimate to be the maximum efficiency point for returns of happiness/dollar)
• Get married, have a family.
• Spend a few years teaching in a high school or college level.
• Make a video game.
• Shoot/own a firearm for sporting and defense purposes.
  
• Die happy.

3. I am single, and always have been. I've never cared for relationships much to be honest; I'd prefer to complete my investment in myself before I start investing in someone else (Or maybe that's just my excuse for being a social coward?). Eitherway, starting a relationship just isn't very high on my list of priorities right now, somewhere above "identifying my personal fashion sense" (read: "terrible fashion sense") and below "cleaning the the interior of my car" (it does need a good bath).

That being said, I've had the occasional crush from time to time.
But before anyone gets too excited: it's never been anyone I've ever had to work with, MCGamer included. I make a clear distinction between my personal life and my professional life, and it is better for everyone involved that it stay like that.

Sorry ladies, but I'm already married... to my job.

In honor of your birthday.. My question is, what's the best birthday present you have ever received?

Best birthday present I've ever received? Life, on my very first day of my birth.

One worth mentioning was a voucher to attend a professional-level barbeque class, hosted by a national-level barbeque competition griller. The class was outstanding, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in BBQ in the SF area. I wanted to mention it because I made ribs for my birthday dinner, and they were the best dang ribs I've ever had. So that birthday gift definitely pops to mind.

And thank you for the kind words.

 

[Col_StaR]

Who/what was your childhood role-model?

What are the winning lottery numbers? (you know everything)

Fave starwars character?

Fave videogame?

Spirit animal?

1. Kind of already answered that, but definitely my parents.

2. I would tell you, but there's no way I'm sharing my winnings with anyone!

3. Jar Jar Binks.
Primary-canon favorite character: Obiwan Kenobi.
Secondary-canon favorite: my light-side Revan from Knights of the Old Republic.
Non-canon favorite: Gary the Stormtrooper from the Robot Chicken skits.

4. Favorite videogame? That's a hard one, since it really depends on what I want to play. But if I could only go with one, probably Garrysmod (assuming full moddability).

Favorite games everyone should expect: Portal, Skyrim, Garrysmod, CoD: MW1, Titanfall, the Sims 3.

Favorite games that I wish more people would know/play: FTL, Skullgirls, World in Conflict, Shadowrun: Dragonfall - The Director's Cut, Black Mesa, Spec Ops: The Line.

Fun Fact: the animator for MCGamer's cartoon series actually helped work on the game Skullgirls. After chatting with him a bit, I learned he worked on the animations for the DLC character Eliza.

5. Honestly, I'd think it's a crow. They're big, black, ugly, and far from musical, but they're remarkably intelligent and resilient.

Where do you want to see this community in a year from now?

I'd want to see the community's attitudes shaped up quite a bit, especially when addressing toxicity and hyper competitiveness. I'd also like to see a staff team that encompasses at least twice the number of active mods we have now, including multilingual mods (Turkish is very much in demand right now). Lastly, I'd like to see a lot more community involvement in everything from catching rule-breakers (more OCS campaigns or report abuses) to games and events.

Top 5 favorite games?

In order:

1. Garrysmod w/ full moddability and community.
2. Skyrim w/ full moddability and community.
   
3. FTL
4. Skullgirls
5. World in Conflict

 

[BaccaBoy1999]

They're big, black, ugly

 

[Tuatara]

Would you like to play Paintball or Air soft with me?

 

[Aidan]

Would you like to play Paintball or Air soft with me?

I WOULD

 

[Col_StaR]

Sorry for the long wait. For those of you who didn't know, I spent the last week in Seattle.
However, I figured it would be a shame to leave so many questions unanswered, so I'll go through the remaining questions as quickly as I can.

...If you could meet up with anyone on the staff team who would it be?

Considering I've already met Chad and most of the Devs, I'd have to say I'd want to meet up with the rest of my Admin peers.
But if I had the option to meet up with anyone who is ex-staff: Dave and/or SixZoSeven. We worked together and got along great, and I just wish I knew them better on a non-professional level.

If you could take a break anywhere but only take one item with you, what would it be? Where would you go?

Cuba, with a suitcase full of US cash. Now that the US sanctions are lifted, Cuba is a newly-opened haven of culture and classic cars, untouched by the influence of western culture. I'd like to see Cuban life as preserved as possible before the havanas become populated with denim jeans and McDonalds venues.

If you had the chance to redo your life, What would you do differently or would you follow the same path? xD

If I could retain the knowledge and personality that I have now, and knowingly revert time to an earlier point in my life, I would.
But on a philosophical/physics level, I would not be able to "redo" my life. Since reversing my life would mean reversing my development of knowledge and personality, my reverted life would ultimately play out identically to my current one. Thus you can't "redo" life so much as you can simply go to another point in time along its linear path.

What do you do for fun?

What would be your definition of a chill and fun day?

Anything left on your bucket list?

What did you get for your birthday?

What was the most difficult decision that you had to make during your time here?

1. I live and breathe video games, and they're my go-to source for fun and relaxation. However, I also love browsing the web and watching Youtube for hours on end. I also enjoy writing (when I can be bothered to do so), reading Cracked.com religiously, and I'm starting to code recreationally as well.

2. "A chill and fun day" is a day that I spend without a single niggling worry, concern, or reminder in my head about something serious that requires my attention. Work has a tendency to follow me home, so I don't have many of these. But to be honest, a part of me relishes in the productivity of work more-so than the lack thereof in a purely-recreational day.

3. Plenty left on my bucket list. Some have already been listed, others shouldn't be posted here, and plenty more have yet to be discovered.

4. I got cake and dinner with a family that I love. When you're like me and as old as I am, you start to appreciate that more than any physical gift, no matter how much it cost or how shiny the wrapping is.

5. Most difficult decision I've had to make? I'd answer, "too many to state", but then I realize nearly all of them are not authorized for public knowledge. So the answer is, "the one you don't know about". In this line of work, you learn to make the hardest calls for the best of reasons, no matter how jagged the immediate outcome may be. And it's our job to know when to make those hard calls, and then to see them through.

That being said, I hate to put my foot down on certain decisions. I'm a fan of coordination and general consensus, so I prefer to put everyone on the same page and then orient them towards our goals. However, if something needs to get done and the general consensus is against me, I hate having to pull rank and force people to accept my authority in order to make it happen. No one likes being forced to do something, but no one can deny that sometimes that course of action is necessary.