January 11, 2009

Interview with Veckthorn
by Bberke

I had the opportunity to interviewing one of the older players who has recently returned to Medievia, Veckthorn. Currently a quad level cleric in clan 0.

Q: How long have you been playing text games?
A: My first text game was Medievia, and I first started playing in 2002.
Q: How did you first find out about Medievia?
A: A few friends from school played it during study hall. It seemed more interesting than staring at a desk for an hour so I gave it a try.
Q: What kept you playing beyond boredom in study hall?
A: There were a lot of aspects of the game that were enticing to me; a lot of things I wanted to do, get, be, etc. I think mostly I just wanted to hero a character and buy a house and run around pking.
Q: Have you accomplished all the goals you set for yourself?
A: Well, I can never seem to stay hero for more than a week. As soon as I hero, I decide another class would be better for what I like to do. I haven't bought a house yet (still working on it though). I used to pk a lot as Xveckthorn, but when it was purged I mainly stuck to trying to legend Veckthorn.
Q: From what I understand you quit playing for a period of time, when was that?
A: I stopped playing about a month or two after I heroed Veckthorn. Unfortunately, a greedy idiot irl tricked me into a perma-freeze for all my chars, so I really had no choice but to quit for a while. Five years went by, and with no job because of the crappy economy, boredom set in and I decided to play again. I was able to get my characters unfrozen, so that was a plus. I might not have begun playing again if I had to start over from scratch.
Q: What are some of the most significant changes to the game you have noticed since you returned? (If any.)
A: Ships are a huge part of what I like about the changes since I was out. I also liked the fog because it gave me a chance to boost up my newbie bloodline Sailyniathorn. I'm still trying to get used to using the new skills and spells that were implemented. The way clan ranks are divided into Order and Chaos is pretty new to me. It seems like every clan has an HP bonus. There are also way less clans out there. If I remember correctly, there were probably 50+ clans before I quit playing.
Q: How difficult a game would you say Medievia is?
A: I don't think I'd use the word 'difficult' when referring to Medievia. I'd go more towards complex. The game is definitely a lot easier for newer players, but might be a bit overwhelming. Heroing comes easier than it used to, but when you're there, there's so many things you can do now it's crazy.
Q: What are 3 things you like and 3 things you dislike about Medievia?
A: The main thing I like is the players, although sometimes some of them are also the main thing I dislike about it. I'm really digging shipping. Adversary is one of my favorite things about the game too since it's pretty much all based on skill and not what eq you can afford. I don't particularly care for trade-runs (but who does?), although I will give the train wagon implementation a thumbs up. Lastly, I don't really care for the governor/mayor system. With like 150 votes ftw on average, it wouldn't be hard for someone to run and have 30 of the friends/clannies/acquaintances to log on 5 alts to vote for them. There should be some way to limit votes from an ip address.
Q: What is it about shipping that appeals to you?
A: Pretty much just how easy and fast it is to make a lot of cash. It takes some practice and a chunk of cash to get started, but it's definitely something everyone should look into. Aside from that, it's just fun to do.
Q: In what ways do you find Medievia to be or to not be a roleplaying game?
A: I think the only real way it can be considered a role playing game is due to the restrictions on titles, item names and zone descriptions. I haven't met many people who really get into the medieval persona while playing. I think the sense of competition in some aspects of the game adds to the RPG genre a bit, but overall I could foresee people from any background enjoying it.
Q: What is one thing you would do to improve the game?
A: I think adding a few more donation items would improve the game. It'd be fun and interesting for the players, and would generate more revenue for the developers, which would allow them to bring Medievia to the next stage.
Q: What are some of the most memorable events in your medlife?
A: Haha one time I was formed with Loko/Huka/Laho whichever char he was playing at the time. We were cpk trading through Dark Woods. I was in old 25 town at the time, and while he was going through DW, they iced him. Like 15 of them got frozen for it, so needless to say I got kicked from town for not announcing who I was formed with. I think there are still people playing that don't like me for that reason.
Q: If something happened and you were forced to quit right now, what would you want people to remember about you?
A: I don't think there's much to remember about me. I tend to keep to myself to avoid any negative feedback really. I like to think I kept my acquaintances amused with my bad taste in humor. I think they might remember me for that at the very least.
Q: If you could ask anyone a question what would it be and to who?
A: I think I would ask Vryce if running the game is worth the lack of quality time he gets to spend with his family.
Q: Name 5 things that people do not know about you?
A: 1) My wife doesn't allow me to play Med 2) I'm not Vecthorn 3) I lie on chat A LOT for a cheap laugh 4) All of my eq is base-det, not max prist! 5) Other than clannies, noone really knows that I also play Sailyniathorn.
Q: Ok Veckthorn, before we conclude the interview, is there anything you would like to add?
A: Yeah, merry x-mas and such.