Interview [Issue 38] Meet the New Reporters!

[hogree 4,179]

 
Fresh faces in the Press! After searching around for some new reporters, we have found three prospective reporters ready to take on the job. From their favourite Tanki combination to their first-choice superpower, join me as we find out all about them!
sonofchrysalis3
A new face in the community, this mysterious character has made a name for himself with his impeccable writing and superb subject choices in essays posted on the forum, leading to his entrance into the Newspaper team.
 

hogree: Hiya! Firstly could you tell us a bit about yourself and who you are?

 

sonofchrysalis3: I'm a changeling living in Ponyville, where I have lived for about two years. I work in a gemstone mine when I'm not playing tanki.

 

hogree: Woo. Fun life. Any actual details on who you are or where you're from?

 

sonofchrysalis3: Oh, so I can't fib here? Okay, I'm twenty and I manage a crew of Grocery stockers in a store near Savannah, GA. I really hate breaking character. Almost as much as I hate Kale. Ever eat kale?

 

hogree: Oh believe me I've eaten kale. Call me a heretic but it's got a nice background taste. Yep I said it. So how long have you been playing Tanki for and what brought you into the game?

 

sonofchrysalis3: I have been playing it for nine months, and I started because my neighbor Bon Bon suggested it... :|The human version of that is that I stumbled onto it one day on Miniclip.

 

hogree: Classic bit of miniclip. Right. So in your tanking life what's your favourite stuff to use? And every favourite maps or Gameplay styles that suit you?

 

sonofchrysalis3: Two months ago, I would've told you that Isida rules the world, and that Railgun is horrible because it takes years to reload and just as long to rotate. Now i have to say that Railgun is one of my favorites. Isida is still the boss of my garage, but Railgun has my respect now. My favorite hull would be Hornet, but I do love Titan. I started out using Titan and Twins on the Cross DM map, so I get those nostalgic vibes when I strap on the old Titan and head out to the battle. Favorite map is Brest CTF, hooves down... excuse me, HANDS down.

 

So that pretty much reveals my favorite mode, CTF. I'm very good at grabbing stuff and runnning like mad. Don't interpret that wrong. Brest is the best CTF map in the universe and the six others because it has two clearly defined sides... I mean, there are two forts, for Alexander's sake... and flag-runners have several good routes to escape with their prize. Incidentally, my favorite turret for Brest is Hammer, not Isida or Railgun. My next favorite map is Cross DM, just because I feel at home there. I learned the fundamentals of Tanki while I was tossing tanks and making memories on its little overpass. It's so profoundly wonderful, I think I might just cry... sniff. YOU WILL BOW BEFORE THE AWESOME WONDERFULLNESS OF CROSS DM, JOSHUA!!!! I SWEAR IT! No matter that it takes an eternity, YOU WILL BOW DOWN BEFORE ME! Er, Cross. Did I spell "wonderfullness" correctly? Whatever.

 

hogree: Right... Got it. So why are you joining the Newspaper team? What made you interested in becoming a Reporter?

 

sonofchrysalis3: I'm joining the newspaper team because I wanted to see if Fen'Harel is actually a Foot Rest, and yes, ladies and gentletankers, he is in fact a cozy place to rest your soles. Just be sure to wash them first. The man has had scores of tootsies parked upon his noggin, so he's become quite the afficionado. Okay, Fen's giving me the evil eye over there, so THE SECOND REASON I'm joining the reporter team is because I positively love to write. My dream in life is to write for television. Could you tell?

:D I'll bet you can't guess which show I want to write for the most! The pony-character thing is something I dreamt up while playing on my now-dormant alt account sonofchrysalis2. I was buzzing around Madness DM one day and some guy was trying to convince everytanki that he was an alien. I was amused and inspired. I found that writing from a pony's point of view was not only as fun as could be, it helped me get into the mind of ponies, which helped me write the spec scripts I'm working on. Writing for Tanki has given me the first real chance to see whether I'm any good at writing or not.

 

I originally had no interest in even reading the Newsletter, much less writing for it. I saw GoldRock's very generous compliment in my "How Playing Tanki Has Changed Me" story's reply section and, at first, yawned at the suggestion to apply for the Reporter position.

I was content with posting my stuff on the Off-Topic forum. Then I got to thinking about the value of official writing experience, and how writing for Tanki's paper would give me the opportunity to expose the entire community to my work. I would know from the community's responses if I lacked the talent I'm trying to market. Thank Celestia and Optimus Prime (want to write for Transformers: Rescue Bots too), my first two articles didn't receive the scornful laugh I feared they would. Well, Remaine laughed, but that was about something entirely different...

 

hogree: Brilliant. Alright, moving on. If you could describe yourself in 3 words what would they be?

 

sonofchrysalis3: "Figuring It Out". I'm at the point in my life where I examine myself, my principles, my goals, my talents, and try to sort out why I'm here and where I'm going. I know I have a loving family and a loving God standing with me and supporting me, so I have no worries to hold me down. I know that, no matter what I pursue or accomplish, they will always have my back, and I will always have theirs.

 

hogree: Awesome. Well, if you could choose a unique superpower what would it be?

 

sonofchrysalis3: I would spray cream cheese from my fingertips!!! Naw, I'd be extradimensional. I'd be able to access a realm of time and space that no one else could, and I'd use it to help the world. I could end wars, prevent disasters, feed millions, and change history, all before you finish reading this sentence. I"d also find Remaine and haunt him with foot rests for the "remaine"der of his life. He'd open the bathroom door one morning to find a foot rest in his bathtub, then run to the kitchen to find one on his dinnertable. It'd serve him right, teasing poor Footsie Harel like he does.

 

hogree: Well played. Right, let's close this thing, you've talked too much already. What can we expect to see from your pen as a reporter? Any specialities?

 

sonofchrysalis3: I'm working on a few things right now, most notably a pair of story serieses. The first, entitled "Deathmatch" is about halfway finished, and will be ready in a few months. The second will explore my pony character's dark, bumpy past and his happy life now. "A Changeling's Journey" will be the title. I'm also hoping to begin a series of map guides called "Down To a Science" that will cover every map the Reporter team hasn't already gotten to. I'd like to see if the rest of the team will help keep it going, but you know how hard it is to get Kevred out of bed and working, so we'll just have to wait and see....

 

Ah, and you can expect me to continue writing as a pony. I'm a little upset that you dragged me out of character like this, in spite of me warning you that I like to remain anonymous, but I doubt many tankers will even read this part of your article. They'll be too busy enjoying TNT and greyat's interviews to notice me admitting I'm a human, so the illusion is still intact. HAHAHAHAHAAAA! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make an alt account in which I pretend I'm an Autobot.

 

hogree: Awesome! Cheers mate!

 TriNitroToIuene
A dedicated and accomplished writer, TNT has always been an avid Newspaper reader and must have one of the most illustrious Newspaper-contest trophy cabinets. Formerly known as pratyushpadmanabhan, the improvement his writing has taken in recent months and well-graced knowledge of the Press marks him out as a reporter to watch.
 

hogree: Hiya TNT. Great to be able to chat to you today. Mind by starting by telling us a bit about yourself and who you are?

 

TriNitroToIuene: Hello, hog! I'm TriNitroToIuene to tankers, and to human's I'm called Pratyush! I'm 14 years old and I'm from India; more precisely, hailing from a state called Kerala. I'm currently in the ninth grade with a lot of interest in math, and am planning to take up a career in the same. My NON academic hobbies include Tanki (of course) and also playing badminton and reading.

 

hogree: Decent decent! So how did you discover Tanki and how long have you been playing for?

 

TriNitroToIuene: Well, in July 2013, Tanki was the absolute RAGE in my colony. At that time, in the school bus, the only thing one could hear was 'Tanki this' and 'Tanki that'. Under immense peer pressure, I created my first account called pratyushpadmanabhan, thinking I'd quit a few days later. I didn't. I stayed on for a long time since then, quickly moving through the ranks (and remaining a nug for a majority of this time). A month after I discovered Tanki, I discovered the forum, and I must say it was great to interact with other English-speaking Tankers! The only other English I had heard in the game was 'gold box plz' :P. At that time, I didn't even know what a gold box was! Halfway through eighth grade, however, my studies started taking more priority than the game. Thus, I started playing INCREDIBLY rarely and barely ranked. I did, however write a lot in the forum! Now, I almost never play, I just hangout on the forum, and my, it's an incredible place to be!

 

hogree: Cool cool. So what made you interesting in joining the Newspaper Team?

 

TriNitroToIuene: So basically, my story is kind of an amalgamation of Kevred's and sonofchrysalis3's journeys. I was always interested in poetry and writing, and used to frequently win prizes for creative writing in school. I did try and take part in a few writing contests in Tanki in my nug days, but obviously didn't win. But, however, in the Continue the Story Chapter 4 contest which kirby created, I entered and a month later, I was shocked to find that I had actually won! Accolades started flowing (through PM, mostly) and I also became good friends with Kevred.

 

Then, I wrote for the editorials, and was pleasantly surprised when tony990_superstar invited me to join what was then the 'Tanki Writing Club'. This was the actual start of my full-fledged writing career. I wrote a lot of articles in the forum, getting more and more experienced in writing. When the Writing Club closed, I started freelancing. Before this, however, I actually got contacted by conan for an interview for reporter. But, I didn't have Skype then. Tragedy of tragedies!

 

hogree: Well, you're finally here! So as a pretty experienced low-ranked tanker, what's your current favourite combination? Any favourites in terms of maps, gameplay etc.? Better at writing or playing? :P

 

TriNitroToIuene: Well, I've stayed for two years in the game, and I've had a lot of diverse choices of hulls and turrets so far. In the beginning, I had no idea what various turrets did and I ended up choosing Firebird and Wasp because they 'sounded cool'. It wasn't so bad, considering what happened next. Then, around WO1, I decided to go with Rico and Mammoth, but I broke the habit - I wasn't meant for heavy hulls. I used Isida and Hornet a lot, and in fact, they were the first M2s I did. But, my current unchallenged favourite would be XP. I discovered this combo in the Tankman's day sale last year, and since then, I've become a pro at it B). I can very efficiently use this combo and recently started playing XP battles. I've not regretted it.

 

My favourite mode of gameplay is CP (not Polygon, k?) I used to love playing in those old Iran CPs way back then. As for maps, I love Silence and Sandbox, and loved Combe till they introduced reverse CTF on it. I also love playing in Massacre CTFs, as they're pretty much free-for-all fights! And yep, I'd say I was good at both! I won't favour either side!

 

hogree: Right. If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

 

TriNitroToIuene: Resourceful, Imaginative and Good-natured! Frankly, before, I would have said 'disciplined', but unfortunately, adoloscence strips many innocent kids of that! XD

 

hogree: Tell me about it... Time for the fun question. What about a unique superpower? What would you choose?

 

TriNitroToIuene: A-ha! Glad you asked! If you gave me all the time in the world, or even if you held me at gunpoint, I'd say it would be the power to see what's going on anywhere in the world, just by closing my eyes. It'll be useful to get inspiration for material I'm writing, and also it'd be fun if I could close my eyes while studying to see some soccer match or occupy myself just as usefully :P. And it'd also be useful to watch movies while they're still in theatres, because I hardly go for any! xD

 

hogree: Unoriginal but nonetheless awesome. Right I'll round it off now - what can we expect to see from your pen in the coming issues? Specialise in any genres?

 

TriNitroToIuene: Hmm.. well, as to that, I really can't be sure. I prefer to keep hopping from genre to genre in search of a good article, but you could expect a lot of guides, some poems here and there, and oh, yes, stories! I'm planning to write articles on things which tankers tend to overlook in their daily routine of drugging.... er...... playing. And yes, as far I'm concerned, I'm mostly intending to write thrillers! But, overall, whatever I write, I always want to do something the community will appreciate!

 

hogree: Brilliant. Well, looking forward to getting to work with you mate. Welcome to the team! Any last words (Choose wisely)?

 

TriNitroToIuene: Okay, Tankers.... it's going to be a long journey for me ahead as a reporter. But, in the times to come, you'll see, there's more to me than meets the eye! Get ready to have some explosions from TNT!

 

hogree: Woop! Can't wait. Thanks!

 greyat
Another writer who has been on the cards as a potential candidate in the Newspaper team for a while, greyat's superb ability at portraying information in words and well-voiced understanding of the game was reason for his entrance into the Reporter team.

 

hogree: Evening Dr. Cat. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and who you are?

 

greyat: Hi, I’m a 16 year old Grey Cat currently residing in the United States.

 

hogree: Sweet. So how did you join Tanki and how long have you been playing for?

 

greyat: I believe I joined Tanki in the summer of 2013, and have been playing on and off ever since, a cumulative two years or so.

 

hogree: Cool. What'd be your favourite combination and do you have any preferable map choices or Gameplay styles?

 

greyat: My favorite combination cycles frequently; currently it is Smoky-Wasp with Prodigi, but has ranged from BP to Thunder-Dictator, but I always enjoy practicing hit-and-run techniques. As for my favorite map, I enjoy playing Polygon CP purely for the large amount of crystals one can rake in doing so, but in terms of pure aesthetics, I find Courage to be a wonderful map.

 

hogree: Yes, my son! Courage is a gem. Love it. So why are you joining the Newspaper team? What made you interested in becoming a Reporter?

 

greyat: I’ve always been interested in writing, and given the… other benefits of the position, decided to apply. But in the end, this is only an excellent way to give back to the community which has given so much support, using one of my few strengths.

 

hogree: Great! *wink wink* Moving on to the slightly more fun questions - If you could describe yourself in 3 words what would they be?

 

greyat: I’d describe myself as (fairly) intelligent for a cat, grey, and furry.

 

hogree: And how about if you could choose a unique superpower - what would that be?

 

greyat: Clearly I already have superpowers being a cat and all that, so additional ones are not necessary.

 

hogree: Fair enough. lol. Well, now you've joined the team, what can we expect to see from your pen as a reporter?

 

greyat: As for my writing style, all I have to say is that humor is not my strong suite. I try do inject some measure of it occasionally in my writing, but it’s rather artificial. Guides are nice, though, and I like writing stories… though the mortality rate of most my pieces is extremely high.

 

hogree: Awesome. Well, thanks for taking part! Been a pleasure; and welcome to the team. 

 

greyat: Thanks!

Well, that's the interviews over, but you guys still can play a part in the future articles coming from the pens of each of these new reporters. Do get involved by suggesting articles for the upcoming issues, over on our "Newspaper Requests!" Topic linked here.
 
If you think you are a good writer and would like to become a reporter too, stay tuned for when applications open! It will be announced in the Newspaper if we do open up again. We may also permanently open newspaper applications in the future, so stay tuned on that!
 
As for you who applied but were not chosen, keep writing! Many of you wrote creditable entries but just didn't pass the barrier we set for our new recruits. And don't forget - you can still enter all the newspaper contests and show off your writing skill there.
 
 

Edited January 7, 2018 by Hexed

[MrCommando 1,412]

Welcome New Reporters!

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

This was the most awkward interaction I've ever had. Hogree simply refused to believe that I'm a pony, no matter what I did. I even showed him a bunch of selfies! Poor guy.

 

I've never pretended to be a human before, so I jumped to Facebook and studied hard before answering his questions. A great big thank-you to the Chris guy from Savannah whose profile I borrowed from (what is "GA", by the way?).

[fluctuation123 3,435]

welcome guys...

[greyat 2,972]

ok short and concise answers are apparently typical for cats but not humans.

paragraphs are annoying to read ok i spared yall

Edited August 15, 2015 by greyat

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Uh....... I see that the hog has replaced his initial reactions to my questions with different ones.... xD, was awkward answering that last question!

[newrohan 1,040]

Welcome, new reporters :D

 

Uh....... I see that the hog has replaced his initial reactions to my questions with different ones.... xD, was awkward answering that last question!

Congo! :D New paint, huh? 

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Welcome, new reporters :D

 

Congo! :D New paint, huh? 

Not yet, I'm a candidate for at least a month, the paint goes to full reporters ;)

[Superlative 500]

Not yet, I'm a candidate for at least a month, the paint goes to full reporters ;)

Congrats, da. Ennekya arillyaunnu ni malayali aanu. Nice, da. All the best, man. 

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Congrats, da. Ennekya arillyaunnu ni malayali aanu. Nice, da. All the best, man. 

Valare thanks!

[momy950666 960]

nice one welcome new  reporters

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

;) Nee aed schoolilla padikunja? 

Navy Children School, Kochi.

I have studied all over India... I guess I'll move somewhere else in a few years.

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

CBSE? 

Affirmative.

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

How's 9th? It is pretty tough right but 10th is going to be easy. 

Ditto that.

 

---

 

I'd like you to take this conversation to a PM, please. Let's not use up valuable forum space for that! :)

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

The only posts whose I see are yours. :P

Precisement. Let other tankers also have their say.

[Flexoo 6,980]

Btw congratz TNT on reporter post :), you deserved it!

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Btw congratz TNT on reporter post :), you deserved it!

Thank you! ^_^

[E.Leclerc 1,887]

Welcome new reporters!  ^_^

[thunderousrailgunner 1,934]

I am just waiting to see them with the avatar   :ph34r:  :P 

[r_Your-Daddy3 605]

You guys excite us ONCE ( twice ) in a month....

[Darren4Turbo 4,913]

Welcome Reporters!  :D

[manish17 1,085]

So now you guys have a larger gang!  :D

[robbie56 2,403]

I'd rather see some known faces become reporter

[fightermalikio20115 374]

welcome new reporters

[asifmehmood 1,576]

welcome and congratz