Interview [Issue 49] Meet the New Reporters

[Night-Sisters 2,139]

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Err... okay. So the interview title is a little bit of a misnomer, thanks to the procrastinatory skills of a certain Gilded Brick. After months of beating around the bush, it finally became clear to the the not-so-new Reporters that they would all drop dead of old age before GoldRock got around to doing interviews. Thus in a risky and somewhat revolutionary move, the 'newbies' decided that they were going to conduct interviews amongst themselves. This was soon accomplished, and as Phoenix-Warbird so nicely put it:

 

#getrektGold. 

 

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Phoenix-Warbird

Interviewed by @Night-Sisters

 

Hey Phoenix! To start this interview off, please introduce yourself and tell a bit about who you are. Have any hobbies you particularly enjoy?
Eyyy, Nighty-Whitey :3 My nickname is Pho and I am a girl. Simply put: guitar is love, guitar is life. I’m not exactly a rockstar, but jamming out is something I can’t get enough of. I also enjoy doing artwork, playing TO and… climbing trees. no judge plz ok ty
 

You haven't lived until you've gotten stuck in a tree. :P So, how long have you been playing Tanki and how were you originally introduced to the game?

Well, I started playing about 5 years ago, but since, I did leave for nearly a year. Upon returning I discovered the forum. I am finally grateful that my brother forced me to make a Tanki account in the first place.
 

What is your TO weapon/hull combo of choice? How about your least favorite? :ph34r:

My favorite combo is le speedy Smoky/Wasp because it suits my battle style and can be a vicious predator with the right amount of skill. The least favorite? Shaft/Mammoth, because it’s soooo fun to sit in a bush and play laser tag in slo-mo.
 

Plz, how could you not like Shaft/Mammo??!! It takes real skill to find that perfect bush to camp behi...(kay, I see your point.) Ahem, moving on: what made you decide to apply for Reporter?

I’d wanted to be staff for a long time, but I didn’t know what position would suit me best. I didn’t believe I could properly take on any of the staff roles, actually. Gold, Fen and Hog were close Reporter friends of mine when one day Gold came across a personal blog that I was authoring (I hardly suspect he found it by accident -.-) then encouraged me to write more. With enough persuasion and effort on my part, I applied, hoping that I could soon join my Helper friends, as well as finally get to publish my ideas in an official way.
 

And so far, what's been your favorite part about the position?

To be honest, I like pretty much everything about it. One of the things I like the most is that it’s not a ‘stiff’, time-consuming job. Writing articles is not treated as a demanding responsibility but rather as a fun way to communicate with the community I’m so attached to. The other part I love about Reporter-ness is that, to me personally, it means I can collaborate on writing stuff with some of my best friends in the game which is really a privilege.

 

How would you describe your writing style?

I can write just about anything, although I do prefer making detailed guides above all else in the press world. I’m not an expert at very specific subjects like the ultimate guides, but rather some generalized informative guides that contain some hints of humor embedded in some relevant advice for tankers. I like using basic reasoning and anything else that players could actually benefit from reading because I write purely for the community. In my articles I do my best to help by sharing tips that I’ve picked up over the years and stuff. I had originally been expecting to write some humorous stories but jokes are actually hard to write. My rule is to always have at least a couple though, just so that reading through the entire piece is bearable for the tankers with a short attention span such as myself.
 

And now for the useless trivia. (Because I can hhhh) What is your favorite book, movie, and food?

Hm, I don’t have a favorite book despite having read so many addictive ones. My favorite movie, though, is probably Avatar. And as for--wait, did you say food?! Sushi! Cookies! Spaghetti! Corn chips! Cookies! Pizza! Tacos! Cookies! Salmon! Ice cream! Coo-

 

 

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Nacht-Schwestern

(Aka Night-Sisters, Sis, or Nighty-Whitey, depending upon whom you ask. :ph34r:)

 

Interviewed by @Contradiction

 

Would you like to introduce yourself? 

'ello, my name is Sarah. I'm 16 years old and was born, raised, and currently reside in Eastern Pennsylvania.

 

Nice to meet you, Sarah. 

How long have you been playing Tanki? What are your earliest experiences with the game?

I've been playing Tanki for a while...not as long as some, but I was first introduced to the game in late 2011/early 2012. I can't remember the exact date that I started, but I've narrowed it down pretty well by means of PNAU. (Patch Notes and Updates) As to my earliest experiences with the game, I started my TO career as a Wasp/Freeze, and encountered all the typical driving and turret-turning problems that plague beginning tankers. After hitting the right Warrant Officer level, I purchased M1 Hornet/Rail and haven't looked back since.

 

Heh, Hornet Rail? Wasp Rail is what the cool kids use.

How have you gotten from where you are then, to where you are now? How did you become involved in the tanki forum and what was it like to first encounter the newspaper?

In a word, my brother. He could coolly make these insane shots with rail and, even more importantly, actually knew how to maneuver his tank. At the time, it drove me insane, so I practiced with Rail until I could comfortably drive backwards and turn my turret fluidly. So, thanks bro. If not for a little sibling rivalry, I probably still wouldn't be able to rotate my turret and move at the same time xD.                                                                    

 

My first involvement in the forum came through my clan page. Almost exactly one year ago, I joined "Madness", which functioned as a jumping-off point into the main forum hub. Over a period of several months I began to familiarize myself with the forum layout and key, most vocal players involved.  

                                             

The newspaper was actually of little interest to me at first. I'd read it each month, but wasn't particularly enthusiastic... until one day I accidentally browsed into Part V of Shedinja's story, Between Tabs. The piece was admirably written, and I was pretty well impressed.

 

You've been in the same clan for an entire year? That's an accomplishment, to say the least.

What made you decide to apply for Reporter?

Yes, well. Mad is a tight-knit group and we really enjoy playing Tanki. It's a recipe for success.                                          

 

As for my decision to apply for reporter, blame Shedinja. :P We corresponded via the forum PM for a bit while reporter apps were closed; I made one of my best friends in the process and it made me realize that, if I could make the cut, I wanted to be a reporter.

I also found and read Hogree's article: The Life of a Reporter at some point and BROWSED through 15 pages of Friday Night Banter featured in a Dictator article...those articles served to reinforce the fact that this group was something I really wanted to be a part of. 

 

Is life as a reporter everything you hoped?

Yep.

 

As a Reporter, what can we expect from your articles in the future? Do you have a specific genre that you will be focusing in?

Hopefully you can expect more quality, interesting, and useful reads.                                                                                          

When writing, I have no particular genre that I limit myself to. Guides, humor pieces, interviews, fiction... I'm game for anything and everything as long as I have that oh-so-necessary spark of inspiration pushing me forwards.

 

If you were to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Sensible (most of the time), introspective, and dedicated.

 

In your opinion, what has been the most influential update to the game?

Drat, that's difficult... but I'd have to say that losing crystal boxes was a hugely influential update. It changed the shape of the game, to some extent, and was just so...unanticipated. 

 

Do you have any favorite books?

The Book Thief, (Marcus Zusak) The Thief, (Megan Whalen Turner) On the Incarnation, (Athanasius) and The Odyssey. (Homer) There are many, many more, but those are special favorites.

 

Oh and one other question: Does your name have any special meaning? Were you once multiple people?

It's a nod to an old Starwars MMO I used to play, the Night Sisters of Dathomir. I am certainly not 'multiple people', it's just good ol' me, myselves, and I.  ;) 

 

 

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Contradiction

Interviewed by @Phoenix-Warbird

 

Heyo, Contra! Tell our readers a bit about yourself? :P

I am a teenager living in Texas. I play Piano, Flute, and Basketball, go to school, and try to get good grades. That's about it.

How long have you been playing Tanki?

I've been playing Tanki, on and off, since around 2010. Although, I was extremely inactive until about a year ago. I played on a few accounts, and after discovering that my main account had been stolen and blocked, I decided to create a new account. I discovered the perfect name- and here I am now.

 

Why did you decide to apply to join the newspaper team?

I decided to apply for a few reasons. I first encountered the forum itself after having followed a link from the newspaper's announcement on the main page. I was a pretty avid participator in the Newspaper contests, and after a time I became fairly involved in reading articles and attempting to win contests. I especially appreciated the in-depth guides created by Fen-Harel, Hogree and others. I also liked to write a lot myself, and I believe that I am actually a pretty good writer. I could see how this ability would benefit the Newspaper team. And having a cool looking paint may have been a small factor contributing in my decision to apply :rolleyes: .

 

Ha, I can understand that. Is Reporterness your favorite thing about Tanki?

Yes, I definitely believe that newspaper writing is currently the most-fun element in my Tanki experience. As a moderately low-ranked player, actual gameplay can become very boring (unless I am playing with friends). And, as of late, there doesn't appear to be anything in the forum worth replying to. In juxtaposition to these time-wasting alternatives, newspaper writing offers a good use of time that can elevate my writing proficiency and actually do some good for the community at large.

What’s your favorite thing about being a reporter?

What is my favorite thing about being a reporter... I don't really know. I like the experience of working alongside a group of intelligent, like minded people. I also like the feeling of producing well written articles; it is satisfying. Being a reporter is just an enjoyable thing to do.

What kind of article do you most like writing?

I prefer to write in-depth analyses and guides of various aspects of Tanki Online. I try to be informative and helpful, and as a rule of thumb keep humor and sarcasm out of articles in which these techniques are not necessary.

I'm surprised; I personally always include humor.

What’s your favorite game mode?

CTF is generally best game mode. It offers the highest strategic diversity, and creates the most intense games. The element of flags makes all the difference. I definitely enjoy a good CTF if I am playing in a battle with good players and balanced teams; however, a battle like this appears to be extremely difficult to come by. DM is also a good mode; poor players on your team can not drag you down to defeat, and a player only relies upon himself.

 

Interesting, and what would you add/remove from TO if you got the chance?

Hands down, I would remove keyboard-activated supplies from non-pro battles. They contribute practically nothing in battles in which only a few tankers can afford to drug nonstop. They also provide waaaaaaayyy too large of an advantage to those who use them. I probably wouldn't remove supplies entirely- they definitely offer something in battles where all tankers are using them. Of course, I don't know the economic implications of this update- but since I don't have any of the developers' data, I am not taking the game-economy into consideration.

 

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Admin's note: Yay, more minions! It's great to have these guys on the team, and as you've already seen they can write incredibly high quality stuff, and I'm looking forward to what they can write in the future!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Hexed

[Destrod 2,634]

Nice interviews. Holy smokes! did you just say that the cool kids use wasp? @GoldRock o dear me  :ph34r:

[Anonono 1,233]

So... you guys just interviewed each other?

[Night-Sisters 2,139]

Precisely.  :D

[GoldRock 6,165]

Note to all - I actually didn't conduct these interviews on purpose k I knew it would motivate these newbies to find the inspiration to come up with this idea. No need to thank me, I know ^_^

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Very interesting! I liked reading this article, keep it up. Just one thing. I gotta say, Hornet is better than Wasp. Just saying.

[KillerGnat 3,135]

GOOD LUCK

Beat Dilsha to it :P. But seriously, good luck to you guys, and may there be many more articles from ya.

 

[Night-Sisters 2,139]

Note to all - I actually didn't conduct these interviews on purpose k I knew it would motivate these newbies to find the inspiration to come up with this idea. No need to thank me, I know ^_^

 

...it finally became clear to the the not-so-new Reporters that they would all drop dead of old age before GoldRock got around to doing interviews. 

Need I say more?  :)

[GoldRock 6,165]

:)

brutal

[eruptionbolt 4]

Clearly! :D

[Zenyth 6,494]

NO ONE CARES

 

 

 

JK nice to hear from Contra, Nighty and Phobird!

 

[jimbob556 541]

great article I give it two thumbs up

[holytankerstefan 2]

I want to become reporter but TO..... TO does not want me like reporter and i wanttt sooo much to become helper of TO i want to cryy...

[BlueDragon_tamki 3,204]

Phoenix-Warbird is a girl?! :o

*faint*

[WeeFudge 63]

Is life as a reporter everything you hoped?

Yep.

 

Hands down, this was my favorite part of this article.  I always suspected one had to be a skilled wordsmith to be part of the Tanki Newspaper team.  This loquacious literary lyric is the ideal all reporters should strive for.  I don't know how you contain it all inside but keep it up, Sis. :D 

[GoldRock 6,165]

just posting again now that I've actually bothered reading the content of this article

 

...and BROWSED through 15 pages of Friday Night Banter featured in a Dictator article...those articles served to reinforce the fact that this group was something I really wanted to be a part of. 

Wow, you actually did that... someone actually wasted their time reading our chat. That makes my copying over of all those messages feel so much more worthwhile xD

Edited February 20, 2016 by GoldRock

[Quarks 2,255]

Night, I would beg to differ with your idea of the Odyssey, while I do enjoy the book (read it in 4th grade), I prefer the Iliad, I think it had an interesting storyline, over such a small problem. Lik dis f u cri evri tyme Achilles dis.

 

 

spoiler alert :ph34r:

 

 

[RivaIdo 1]

I did not know what reporters do so.....basically they write articles about their experiences in the game and give advises ?

[r_IceDragon2o50 3]

How do you become a reporter. Just wondering ;)

[Lhamster 4,081]

How do you become a reporter. Just wondering ;)

How to become a reporter

[Link_1119 183]

Dont you have to be over 18 to be any type of staff?

[Lhamster 4,081]

Nope, that limit was lifted a while ago, and age has never been a requirement for Reporters.

[Bugs.meeny 1,013]

I enjoyed learning more about some of my favorite reporters. Nice interview.

[M4ShermanUSA 926]

Note to all - I actually didn't conduct these interviews on purpose k I knew it would motivate these newbies to find the inspiration to come up with this idea. No need to thank me, I know ^_^

Slacker! 

Well Played!

 

Great Article!

As always!

Edited February 24, 2016 by M4ShermanUSA

[LaserShark 2,095]

Nope, that limit was lifted a while ago, and age has never been a requirement for Reporters.

Unfortunate.