An Interview with Calrog - by Selthios

This interview took place in Calrog's office on Tuesday, June 29; Calrog is a level 136 god whose main tasks include running and writing new quests.

Selthios: How long have you been playing Medievia, and what initially got you started?

Calrog: Since late 1998, I started because I heard about a friend playing it and Medievia seemed rather interesting. Also the fact it was free and didn't require a huge amount of software to download helped.

Selthios: Was Medievia your first MUD?

Calrog: Yes.

Selthios: What were your first impressions of it?

Calrog: It was detailed and had a lot of interesting features.

Selthios: How long had you played before you became a God?

Calrog: I achieved godhood in late 2001, so around three years.

Selthios: Is your opinion of Medievia the same now as it was back then?

Calrog: Yes, I still find it interesting and detailed.

Selthios: So how did you becoming a God come about? Was this your first application?

Calrog: It was actually my second application, the first was for a builder but my zone plan wasn't that good. I heard that they might be hiring some new quest gods so as I had knowledge of MudMaster console scripting I applied. I was then hired as a 132 level Quest God by Alteneos.

Selthios: What was your initial reaction?

Calrog: Elation at being hired, I think.

Selthios: What did you think of Medievia's gods before you came on staff?

Calrog: I hadn't had much interaction with gods before becoming one but they seemed nice.

Selthios: What is your impression of the gods now that you are one of them?

Calrog: They are great people once you get to know them.

Selthios: You are level 136, so how does that differ from the other god levels?

Calrog: Hard to say without being a different level, 136 and 132 are basically the same.

Selthios: When you first began playing Medievia did you have any influences or mentors that you looked up to?

Calrog: Not as a single, but people like Zeia and Erica helped.

Selthios: When you did eventually hero, was it everything you thought it would be?

Calrog: I think I heroed late 1999, but my memory isn't that good on the subject. I had about 1,200-1,300 hours at the time. Single warrior was fun to solo with so it probably gave me a lot more hours that the other three classes did.

Selthios: Do you think Medievia has changed much since you started playing?

Calrog: I think it has a lot. MLR/Score Z was added. Clantowns were changed a lot and became more important. AutoQuests were added.

Selthios: And has much changed while you have been a god?

Calrog: Not in any way that effects how I perform my duties as a God really. The quest department has seen a lot of new faces and reimbursements have changed.

Selthios: How so?

Calrog: Reimbursements have changed in that non 35's can do them. The quest department has changed a lot with a lot of people passing through it and with the reorganization that happened after Selthios became the Quest Manager.

Selthios: You have been in the quest department for a few years now, what would you say has been the best change?

Calrog: Zone Scripts by far. Although players probably have no idea what they are. The fishing quest changes and belt quest changes are good improvements and examples of zone scripts at work.

Selthios: As a player, what would you say have been the most important aspect of Medievia to you?

Calrog: Clans, without them a lot of players wouldn't keep playing and it helps bring people together.

Selthios: What would you say has been your most memorable Medievia moment or event?

Calrog: I can't think of one offhand.

Selthios: In 5-6 years you have no memorable events?

Calrog: Well I recall exping in fire giants as a triple thief in clan 47 and being cpked by Geffen, Evangelion and Gemmi, it was my first time being cpked. Also being in the first group to run and also blow up the island of demonforge while Jaolen and Athrian watched was quiet entertaining.

Selthios: Being a god means responsibility, hard work and devotion. You don't get paid so why do you do it?

Calrog: It's fun and interesting, I like creating new quests and zones for players to enjoy.

Selthios: How would you describe your average day as a god to a player?

Calrog: I run quests when I have time, I do reimbursements when required, and handle prayers. I sometimes work on my zones and also complete any quest script updates when they are needed.

Selthios: Can you tell us a little about the jobs you are currently working on?

Calrog: I'm creating two zones currently, a mid-level equipment zone with some nice aspects and also a quest zone.

Selthios: Can you tell us more about these zones?

Calrog: The first, The Ancient City (Zone 497), is as the name suggests a city. I plan on having interesting procs and that it wont just be a hack & slash zone. The second, Ezekiel's Mansion (Zone 581), is a re-creation of the old Ezekiel's Mansion from zone 50.

Selthios: Do you have any projects for you planned in the future that you can tell us about?

Calrog: I'm trying to do a quest involving sheep but they are hard to catch, they keep running away from the paddock.

Selthios: And your manager isn't happy with a sheep-related quest!

Calrog: I'm sure he will come around to my way of thinking, he generally isn't happy though.

Selthios: As a god you must have to answer the same questions over and over, how do you deal with things like that?

Calrog: I just do my best to give accurate and informative responses.

Selthios: Can you share an interesting, funny, or quirky story with us that has happened to you as a god?

Calrog: None that I can share.

Selthios: Seriously, you must have at least one interesting experience!

Calrog: I recall Ozymandias accidentally restarting the main port instead of the test port, giving players no warning of a restart, his comments once Medievia came back up were quite entertaining.

Selthios: Haha - any other good stories?

Calrog: Oh, I once spammed like 30-40 mindlink echoes and then had to do 30-40 mindlink removals.

Selthios: Do you have any advice to players who may be reading this about Medievia?

Calrog: Make sure you read Help Rules, it solves many problems players end up having, and remember this is a game and should be played for enjoyment.

Selthios: Now I'd like to ask the person behind the screen a few questions. Hopefully it will give people an opportunity to get to know you better. How old are you IRL?

Calrog: Twenty-six.

Selthios: What is your current profession?

Calrog: I'm in-between things right now.

Selthios: If you were forced to quit Medievia this very second, what would you want people to remember about you?

Calrog: That I ran a lot of quests and tried to be helpful to players.

Selthios: And what do you think people WILL remember about you?

Calrog: Hopefully that I did run a lot of quests, and that I was a good clan member, I'm not sure what else.

Selthios: Where did you get the name Calrog from, and what does it mean?

Calrog: I just randomly choose it.

Selthios: If you could have one of the skills or spells from Medievia in real life, which would you want and why?

Calrog: Goto would be a nice skill to have, save all those transport costs.

Selthios: What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment in real life, so far?

Calrog: Being in the Army.

I would like to thank Calrog for giving me his time and telling me all about his life.