Community Interview Project [HCBailly - Part II]

[Lunaria]

I hope you do other people then the staff too. :P

[Phazar]

Heh, and since I've returned not too long ago, I might as well drop into IRC more often for this.

[Sepharos]

Today I was able to catch up with a great member of MetConst and programmer designer- Matt aka Interdpth. An interview ensued.

<Sepharos> What brought you to Metroid Construction?
<Interdpth> I was in #JZD when #MetConst was created, so I simply joined.

<Sepharos> Matt, we've always had this intro sequence since I've first met you. May I ask where your username originated from?
<Interdpth> A long time ago I used to translate programs, so I typed in program translator into French and it came up with intrus de programme. So I combined intr from intrus, d from de, p from programme and th to make it a word.

<Sepharos> As for the Metroid Construction community- what about it makes you stick around?
<Interdpth> It's fun, there are a lot of cool people and dastardly people.
<Sepharos> Zeke being one of the dastardly peeps. What do you enjoy most about the community? What makes it fun?
<Interdpth> I don't know, I just don't know. Which is why it's good.

<Sepharos> So what brought you into the hacking phenomenon
<Interdpth> Being able to edit video games.

<Sepharos> Of course, now, do you have any video game that you enjoy hacking specifically?
<Interdpth> The Metroid series, because I grew up with it.

<Sepharos> What aspect of hacking are you greatest at? ASM, world design, textures, et cetera?
<Interdpth> Figuring the dirty work out; code and such. I figured out how to insert custom C++ routines a while back.
(SARCASTICALLY) That was fun.

<Sepharos> What do you do with these codes? Keep them for yourself or share them?
<Interdpth> I release them- what fun is having them if nobody else is able to use them?

<Sepharos> Indeed. Speaking of which, do you not have your own hacking program released?
<Interdpth> There's a good twenty out there I've made.

<Sepharos> What would you say is the most difficult part of creating any hack program?
<Interdpth> Design is the hardest because it is ever changing. Thus, you make your code, then remake it a dozen times.your code

<Sepharos> Now, do you currently have any hacks that you've made released?
<Interdpth> No, I just enjoy making the programs. I did have a PokeMon hack that I was doing, but I canceled it midway.

<Sepharos> Amazing, there aren't many people who would go through the arduous labor of creating programs while not making their own game as well.
Why did you stop that hack?
<Interdpth> I don't remember, but I believe I left the project to hack Metroid Prime

<Sepharos> Fair enough.
<Interdpth> I think I have hacking addiction.
<Sepharos> Who doesn't?

<Sepharos> Is there anything about hackers that can annoy you? Laziness or lack of creativitiy?
<Interdpth> Pokecommunity pisses me off for sure. I hate anyone who can't figure out hexediting

<Sepharos> Now, outside of hacking, what is your favourite video game?
<Interdpth> Metroid Fusion. It has a beautiful atmostphere. I play it with my mom by helping her out every now and then, the length of the story is right- it's amazing.

<Sepharos> If you had the chance, with todays programs you likely do, what about that game would you change?
<Interdpth> Nothing, it's an amazing game and I can change it easily.44

<Sepharos> Have you ever thought of becoming an actual paid game programmer?
<Interdpth> Yeah, however it seems boring. I currently find bugs in video games. I like it.

<Sepharos> The current road the Metroid saga is traveling down- would you say it's promising? Why or why not?
<Interdpth> As long as there's no more pinball, it's good.

<Sepharos> Did you enjoy Metroid: The Other M?
<Interdpth> Yes, it was a nice game.
<Sepharos> What, if anything, would you change about the game?
<Interdpth> Getting pickups instead of orders.

<Sepharos> What is your favourite aspect of the Metroid series, or of any series?
<Interdpth> Samus- she's sexy and powerful.

<Sepharos> Who would you say your biggest hacking inspiration is?
<Interdpth> Snowbro, he's awesome.
<Sepharos> What about him inspires/d you?
<Interdpth> He just made so much and no one really ever knew him. I met one of his friends onces and learned a lot.

<Sepharos> Is there anything you'd like to say to fellow hackers or program makers? Any advice?
<Interdpth> lr2hex and use the 0x prefix when referring to hex.

<Sepharos> Lastly, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans and/or admirers?
<Interdpth> Live long and prosper.

You heard it here first folks, with another Sepharos Interview! In the words of Matt aka Interdpth, "live long and prosper."

[Sepharos]

Today a talented member of Metroid Construction, SilverSkree, was available for an interview. I quickly took over.

<Sepharos> David, how did you first discover Metroid Construction?
<SilverSkree> I was hanging around in #jzd and just decided to hop on the bandwagon, just like several others.
<Sepharos> Oh, so you're an original member of the site I take it?
<SilverSkree> For the most part; I hadn't been so gung-ho about it the first few times I heard about it, so I think I joined a few days after its creation, so, I'm not a founding memeber I guess.
<Sepharos> What, if anything, excited you the most in your first few days of the site?
<SilverSkree> Oh man, I can't remember. I don't think I /was/ that excited about the site; if anything, I was still eager to learn more about hacking and SMILE in general, having just picked up the practice not too long ago.
<Sepharos> Today, is there anything that you look forward with the site?
<SilverSkree> Specifically, no. I do have high hopes for it in the somewhat-distant future though, so I'm eager to see it progress in general. Better resource organization, tighter community, an actual /matching site and forum/.
<Sepharos> What do you enjoy the most about the site currently?
<SilverSkree> Just talking about the site, I'd have to say the patches section. I don't use it for much else except looking at the occasional docs section as well. Grime needs to keep the place more up to date though; I still have to go digging through the forum to find a lot of what I'm looking for.
<Sepharos> In your opinion, is there anything that should be changed with the site?
<SilverSkree> When you say 'site,' does that include the forum or just the main site?
<Sepharos> For the sake of information, you can include both.
<SilverSkree> Hmm. Well, I can't think of a specific design that'd be better than the one the site itself currently has, considering how small our resources still are in comparison to something like SMWC. The forum should definitely be changed to match the visual theme of the site, though. Aside from that, I think they both work pretty great (minus the occasional Fazewire bullshit).
<Sepharos> Are you happy with the current progression of the community?
<SilverSkree> That's a little hard for me to answer. To me, it feels like the community is a two-headed beast, and each half is pulling two opposite directions. I love it when I see real collaboration going on, information being exchanged, and lessons being had; that's the direction I see it going and like. It even makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside sometimes.
<Sepharos> So what do you enjoy the most about the community?
<SilverSkree> I'm actually guilty of being part of the half that I dislike. (I kick a lot of new members when I get the chance.)
<SilverSkree> And what I ejoy most is the cooperation I get from the people that know what they're doing, like Grime, DSO, DChronos, and Sadiztyk. I've done some fair teaching, myself. That was fun.
<Sepharos> In one word, what do you believe to be the main theme of Metroid Construction? Please elaborate upon your answer.
<SilverSkree> The community, in a word? Exasperating. Half the people are going 'dicks dicks dicks' (or something just about as relevant) and the other half of the people that you want to get in touch with are never there when you need them (not like that's their fault, but it's how the communnity is). This is from the view of the IRC, though. In any case, it has its golden moments.

<Sepharos> David, how long were a part of the hacking community prior to joining Metroid Construction?
<SilverSkree> I can't clearly remember, but I'd say a few months. #jzd was the only real 'hacking place' I was around before MetConst came along (though that's not to say I didn't plug my stuff elsewhere). I also watched my fair share of SMILe tutorials and hack demos on YouTube, but I wouldn't call the comment threads of YouTube a "community."
<Sepharos> Now, I assume you hack Metroid, but do you hack any other games as well?
<SilverSkree> No, I don't hack any other games other than Super Metroid. I did take an interest in Lunar Magic for a week, but quickly decided against practicing with it in favor of SMILE. My brother and I ARE planning our own game(s) built from scratch with our friends, though.
<Sepharos> Any details on this planned game?
<SilverSkree> As much as I'd love to reveal the hilarious title, we've found out that it isn't taken by anything else (amazingly enough), and we'd like it to stay that way. Sorry.
<Sepharos> How did you first find out that Super Metroid could be hacked and what was your initial reaction?
<SilverSkree> 1) Via demo youtube videos of half-hacks, and 2) ME TOO ME TOO!! HOW?!
<Sepharos> Do you have any completed Metroid hacks yourself?
<SilverSkree> Yes, but none I'm happy with. My latest finshed release is /still/ the old Sigma Boss Rush that I released a couple or so years back,  but I've got Sigma++ in the works and a demo of it is released to Metroid Construction; I'm much more proud of what I've done there. I can't wait for me to finish it. lol
<Sepharos> What would you say is the most difficult aspect of hacking any game?
<SilverSkree> That'd definitely be the awesome ideas that you get but can't impliment with your own skill at the time. That's why myself and many others learn ASM. The limitations of the platform are still there, but when you can do real "hacking" with hijacking and shoehorning in your own subroutines, it opens up a whole other world of possibilities beyond what you can do with premade ediors.
<Sepharos> Do you find games released by companies better than those made by people or do you find games (hacks) made by the people more creative?
<SilverSkree> I wouldn't generalize. I honestly haven't played many commercial games at all in the past decade, but the fact of the matter is that people make games. Whether those people are employed in a company or work with their own pulled-together group has no real bearing on the quality of the game aside from potential resources.
<Sepharos> David, which do you believe to be more important in a hack- the design or the quality?
<SilverSkree> Elaborate; those two sound pretty much the same.
<Sepharos> The design focuses on the overall location of areas, level builds, and ASM.
<Sepharos> The quality focuses on the creativity, work put into the game, and thought beforehand.
<SilverSkree> Every factor of a game in general contributes to its overall quality. The two are really equally important; good design would mean attention to detail in all possible fields, impressing and immersing the player. Good quality is important to make the player feel good and happy that he or she played the game and saw and/or experienced what it had to offer.
<Sepharos> Is there anything about hackers that can annoy you? Laziness or lack of creativitiy?
<SilverSkree> Yes, laziness in hackers can really piss me off, but lack of creativity never does. I can understand just not being able to come up with your own ideas.
<SilverSkree> There's the /denial/ of creativity via beng lazy that's what makes me the most irritated.

<Sepharos> What projects are you currently interested in?
<SilverSkree> I only recently got back into hacking from [a long hiatus] [the Minecraft craze], so I'm not very up to date on the current hacks going on right now. I know I really want to see Aegis, Jathys' trilogy, and James' Return to SR:388.
<Sepharos> Now, is there anything you're intesterested in outside of hacking?
<SilverSkree> Well, of course. Hacking isn't all I'm interested in by a long shot.
<SilverSkree> I suppose music would be the most interesting out of those three, to me. I'm definitely way into music appreciation, and I'd like to compose some day.
<Sepharos> What do you currently want to do with your life?
<SilverSkree> I really enjoy being a bum, to be honest. I don't really get the same sense of disappointment of self that I hear a lot of unemployed people talk about, but obviously I can't stay like that. Ideally, I'd like to go into the business of starting a game company with my brother, but as it is now I'd take pretty much any work I could find.
<Sepharos> Here's the question on everybody's mind- are there in ladies in David's life right now?
<SilverSkree> I had a high school crush; name was Saide, but I never confessed.

<Sepharos> What would you say is your favourite video game David?
<SilverSkree> That's an extremely hard question to answer.
<SilverSkree> Most of the Metroid franchise; Secret of Mana; Seiken Densetsu 3; Final Fantasies IV, V, V and XI for four years; Iji; Cave Story; and most recently Minecraft.
<SilverSkree> there are tons of others that I'll always love, but those are what come to mind right now
<Sepharos> Did you enjoy Metroid: The Other M?
<SilverSkree> Haven't played, but I've seen and heard enough to know not to buy it. I watched all of the cutscenes and hated a lot of what I saw, and just mildly disliked the rest. Hell no.
<Sepharos> What do you believe caused most of the dislike towards the game?
<SilverSkree> What they did to Samus' charachter, definitely.
<Sepharos> The current road the Metroid saga is traveling down- would you say it's promising? Why or why not?
<SilverSkree> I'm pretty disappointed in Other M and Sakamoto, but I didn't get my hopes that high for it in the first place. I was expecting something radically different to what I had gotten used to when Retro handed the wheel over back to Nintendo.
<SilverSkree> I'm still holding out some faint hope that the franchise will recover from this, and that this specific game will become one of those things people never talk or think about. Kinda like Megaman 8. *shudder*
<Sepharos> Who would you say your biggest hacking inspiration is and what about them inspires you?
<SilverSkree> Another tough one. My /earliest/ would be Jathys, for the simple reason that he's the first and everyone looked up to him for a while, but I dunno about the biggest, currently. Most all of the worthwhile members of MetConst have inspired me at some point (you know who you are), but I oftentimes feel like I'm competing with Grime when it comes to level design.
<SilverSkree> Back when Room of the Week was something I was into, I saw his (and a lot of other people's) rooms and thought, "I can do that good. I can do better than that; I can win," and now when I'm building rooms in SMILE, it's that desire to make something that'll really impress everyone else that drives me.
<Sepharos> Is there anything you'd like to say to your fellow hackers? Any advice?
<SilverSkree> Yeah: Don't be afraid to learn; you really can't let laziness or intimidation keep you from learning new things. It usually is never is as hard as it seems at first glance. Just try.
<Sepharos> Finally, is there any last remarks you'd like to leave the readers?
<SilverSkree> I suppose now would be the time to say something profound.   . . .   Nothing comes to mind.

You heard it here first folks, another fantastic interview of yet another amazing member!

[Sepharos]

Today I caught up with Trevor, aka Bloodsonic, unaware that he had quit MetConst prior, but an interview occured nonetheless.

<Sepharos> Trevor, what first brought you to Metroid Construction?
<Bloodsonic> The making of it I guess. I was around in the hacking community well before James got started on his own hacking site.
<Sepharos> So I take it you were around JZD prior to the creation of Metroid Construction?
<Bloodsonic> Fo' shizzle.
<Sepharos> Your brother [Zeke] tells me you befriended James before he did; is this true and if so, how did you meet?
<Bloodsonic> Umm.. I think I spoke to him on metroid2002's forum before he got himself on IRC, it was something about releasing a beta... yeah. He was asking for feedback and all that good stuff in his content thread.
<Sepharos> You were one of the first to know of Metroid Constructions creation then?
<Bloodsonic> Yes, along with Zeke, Conner. and maybe some others too, I forget.
<Sepharos> This makes you a founding member?
<Bloodsonic> Yes it does.
<Sepharos> Was there anything specific that attracted you to the site?
<Bloodsonic> The fact that James at the time was a bro and that I still hacked Metroid at the times.
<Sepharos> Can you name any time that you've played a major role in the site's immediate future?
<Bloodsonic> I invited Zozo.
<Bloodsonic> Psych! I can't name one off the top of my head. I wasn't a revolutionary or anything, just a dude that tried to help out.

<Sepharos> What do you enjoy about the site on a day to day basis?
<Bloodsonic> What *did* I enjoy? the hacking developement and socializing with people I shared interests with.
<Sepharos> Clarify- do you mean to say you no longer enjoy the daily routine?
<Bloodsonic> I don't even go there anymore.

Sepharos then discovers this interview just got a lot more interesting.

<Sepharos> Could you explain why you are no longer a part of the Metroid Construction community?
<Bloodsonic> Well my hacking developement slowed to a halt several months beforehand. I was sort of losing interest, and while I still wish I got back my hacking motivation from years ago, there were other reasons.
<Sepharos> Are you willing to share the other reasons?
<Bloodsonic> I also wasn't getting along too well with some of the people there. I was this chaotic moderator that tried to keep shit cool but usually failed in doing so.
<Sepharos> So, in a sense, you were an ignored mediator?
<Bloodsonic> Supposedly the place was actually worse after I left according to some but I guess some of these haters need to be careful what they wish for.
<Bloodsonic> Not ignored, more like an obstacle to those who needed more freedom to spam, flame, troll (yeah I was a hypocrite about that in some cases) and other stuff.
<Sepharos> Would you ever consider returning to Metroid Construction?
<Bloodsonic> Nope. I think I'd lose any dignity if I fell to the "hey, come back!"s coming from the people that wanted me gone, not to mention that place was a large amount of stress for me sometimes.
<Sepharos> WIll this be true for the foreseeable future as well?
<Bloodsonic> Yeah. I don't even think about the place anymore unless Shadox is talking about getting trolled or zeke is copypasta'ing logs or something. Then I just laugh and forget again.

<Sepharos> Speaking of which, you and your brother, Zeke, did you guys ever make something of a team while modding the community?
Bloodsonic> Nope! Zeke never actually hacked super metroid, he was just pro at technical stuff, like getting the forum working for James and whatnot. I made attempts to get zeke to learn ASM for me but alas, they were futile.
<Sepharos> This question has been on everybody's minds since the interview with Zeke; between the two of you, whom is evil?
<Bloodsonic> Next question? :>

<Sepharos> Do you ever miss the community or feel regret leaving?
<Bloodsonic> Nnot really to be honest... I mean. not much of the community has shown that they miss me. maybe Squishy_Ichigo saying he wants to talk to me then carry on a long conversation with my brother while telling me "I'm busy."
<Bloodsonic> I still talk to Project, Shadox, Parabox, all them, but you know, mutual feeling with the "miss the community" thing.
<Sepharos> Have you ever considered making your own community?
<Bloodsonic> Nope, and if I ever did, that consideration disappeared forever from trying to help running a community in MetConst.

At this point in the interview, I'd like to note that I'm not trying to spite either party nor influence a fight between them.

<Sepharos> Did you ever come to a point where you abruptly decided to leave?
<Bloodsonic> Actually, yes. My leave was extremely abrupt. Parabox was saying something.. something.. I can't remember what it was but I wasn't its number one fan. I, in the most simple terms, ragequit.
<Bloodsonic> Not just because of parabox mind you. He's a cool dude.
<Sepharos> How did Metroid Construction influence your life when you still were a member?
<Bloodsonic> I spent a lot of time on the community. It was a lot of fun for a while, so.. yeah. pretty big stuff I guess.
<Sepharos> Do you have anything you'd like to say to the community or advice?
<Bloodsonic> Well they'll probably all be reading this, so I probably said what I wanted to say already.. good luck with DarkSamus?

You certainly didn't hear it here first, we need all the luck we can get with that guy. Yet another terrific interview with a cool guy.

[squishy_ichigo]

I still love you Bloodsonic!

Despite if you love me or not, it's all good mang.

[Katelyn]

He mentioned me! Even if I was about being trolled! :awesome:
I also got a kick out of his last line involving DarkSamus.

[Sepharos]

Early this morning I found a sleepy Grime on the IRC, so I took advantage of his lack of fight and interviewed him.

<Sepharos> Mike, how did you first learn of Metroid Construction's existance?
<Grime> Like a lot of others, I was hanging around #jzd and caught wind of it from there.
<Sepharos> With that grammar, I may not have to edit. This is the holy grail of my interviewing career!
<Grime> I aim to please.
<Sepharos> So you were with the hacking community in general prior to Metroid Construction?
<Grime> Not for very long. I was only in #JZD for a couple of weeks before MetCon started being talked about, when the first version of the site was made by James. And whatever forum host they were using at the time. I first came to #JZD so I could ask how to edit graphics properly, and just stuck around.
<Grime> March of '09 if we're going by specifics. I believe it was on a Friday the 13th, too.

<Sepharos> What first brought you to the hacking community Mike, and what was your first reaction towards it?
<Grime> I'd heard about SMILE years ago before the first build was ever released, then forgot about it. About two years later I realized "Oh, that program might be out by now." Sure enough it was (version 2.0). Before that I'd piddled around with Mario World a little bit, but it didn't take long for me to lose interest in that.
<Grime> My first reaction was unadulerated joy and hardness in the nether region, because I've kinda always wanted to edit Super Metroid ever since I was a little kid.
<Sepharos> So, are you a current hacker of Super Metroid then?
<Grime> Yeah, I hack Super Metroid exclusively.
<Sepharos> Do you have any released projects or hacks?
<Grime> I've released three hacks. Temporus, a 7-room minihack, Hallow Eve, a 1-room Halloween-themed hack, and many versions of Project Base, which is massive rehash of the original game.
<Sepharos> What would you say was the hardest aspect of making those games?
<Grime> It depends on the game. Each one was a huge learning experience. Temporus helped me refine my room design skills, Hallow Eve made me better at using scroll PLMs and think outside the box a little, and Project Base is all of that and a lot more.
<Grime> If that didn't answer the question correctly, then I'll default to ASM being the hardest aspect. I'm not very good at that.
<Grime> But graphics, level design, enemy placement, and especially palettes are things I've gotten very good at over these last two years.
<Sepharos> I take it you enjoy a good hacking challenge then?
<Grime> If it's within my capabilities at the time, sure. But telling me to make a new boss from scratch wouldn't bode so well.
<Sepharos> What is your hacking goal, if any, and how do you plan to accomplish it?
<Grime> To complete Project Base, and to also complete the largest full hack possible. Also, spreading information for others to take advantage of in their own hacks.
<Sepharos> What do you enjoy the most about hacking in general?
<Grime> The satisfaction of finishing something awesome, and the fact that hacking Super Metroid is almost like a constant nostalgia.
<Grime> Also, that a completely new world can be constructed without having to build the engine and everything else from the ground up.
<Sepharos> What impresses you the most about hacks from other people?
<Grime> The ingenuity of certain peoples' accomplishments, like BF's morph ball animation fix, the HUD hack that he picked up from InsomniaDX, DSO's FX1 lunacy and so on. Really, any finished hack is impressive in its own right, even the really old ones that were made before so much was known about the game, and the fact that people have gotten so good at inserting new ideas into the source material that work perfectly.
<Sepharos> Is there anything that can annoy you with hacks?
<Grime> Nothing incites Grimey ire more than ugly palettes and tiling errors.
<Sepharos> Has this ever caused you to snap out on a hack?
<Grime> Not really. If it's bad enough I'll just quit playing it.
<Sepharos> Which, in your opinion, has better creativity- hacked games or company games?
<Grime> Company games have the advantage of a paid staff working towards a common goal. Hacks generally have a single person or small collaborations that aren't given a paycheck incentive to do what they do. The results are few and far in between, but I've seen hacks that easily trump the source material in that regard. Super Metroid is a good example of that.

<Sepharos> Mike, what is the auto op keyword?
<Grime> There is no auto op word, I just identified and quickly typed that before ops were given, haha.

<Sepharos> What hacks are you currently interested in?
<Grime> Hyper Metroid is probably at the top of my "want to play" list. Its use of vanilla tiles and add-ons is pretty amazing. Aegis (which doesn't exist), and Sadiztyk Fish/Black Falcon's hacks, even though they're probably years away. Event Horizon is promising because of DSO's goal to make it into an enormous game, and the finished version of Sigma++. There are probably others that are slipping my mind right now.
<Sepharos> What would you say inspires you the most while creating a hack?
<Grime> Peoples' reactions to the finished product. I can only imagine what the Super Metroid developers would think if they saw what we've been doing to their product.
<Sepharos> Have you ever had to take a haitus because of lack of inspiration?
<Grime> Not really for a lack of inspiration. I recently called off the community full hack because I've been busy with other things, and because people have their own stuff going on.
<Grime> When I'm not inspired, I put SMILE away for a little bit and focus on making music or web design instead until I decide it's time to get back to it.  Which usually happens when my inspiration for music or web design run out, haha.
<Sepharos> Ah, so what else do you do in your free time other than hack?
<Grime> Usually it's bumming around with my girlfriend in some fashion and going for long walks, or trying to find cool new ways to get high. Sometimes I hit up 4chanarchives and read threads there. I also write song lyrics occasionally. By song lyrics I mean rap, but I don't have any songs finished yet.
<Sepharos> Outside of hacking, what is your favourite video game?
<Grime> I'd have to say Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It's the only other game outside of Super Metroid that I still play.

<Sepharos> Well, we're coming to the end of my time limit I'm afraid.
<Grime> Poop.
<Sepharos> In closing, do you enjoy being a hacker of Super Metroid and would you ever consider trading the time spent hacking for something else?
<Grime> I definitely enjoy it. If I was going to trade my time spend hacking for something else, it would probably be focusing more on my music and trying to get rich that way.
<Sepharos> Do you have anything you'd like to share with our increasing audiance?
<Grime> Don't be so quick to release unfinished hacks. Take your time to learn the ropes and get good at it if you want to generate more interest. Also, scour the main site and forums before asking a question. It's probably already been answered in some fashion more than once.

Yet again, you didn't have to hear it here first folks. Indeed, people, especially the newer members, actually SEARCH for stuff.

[Sepharos]

Phazar is the founding member of the forums, so I took the chance to interview this great member.

<Sepharos>: Joey, how did you first discover the hacking community Metroid Construction?
<Phazar>: Well, I've been there from the very beginning.  Zeke, Bloodsonic, James, and I at the time had been hanging around #doom regularly.  As is known by now, one day James came up with this great idea to start a hacking website, so I jumped onto to bandwagon.  I am technically the fourth founder, despite James and Zeke being more influential, of course.
<Sepharos>: What was your initial thought of creating a Metroid hacking site?
<Phazar>: I remember thinking how cool it would be to start something that could one day grow as big as, say, M2K2.  But back during MetConst's founding, I really didn't know how far it would go.
<Sepharos>: How were you influential when the site was born?
<Phazar>: Well, I was the one who first suggested the idea for the forum.  James was wondering what the last page to put on the site would be, originally thinking maybe a Warzone link.  But then I came up with the idea of a forum, and he took a liking to the idea.  Took a while to start that forum, thanks to sitesled of course
<Sepharos>: So you're the founder of the forum you could say?
<Phazar>: Yes, I am the founder of the forum.  But I suppose sometimes I don't quite receive enough credit for it, although I don't want to sound egotistical here.
<Sepharos>: What do you enjoy the most about the forum?
<Phazar>: Well, that's a good question isn't it? Most people know that I've mysteriously disappeared at several occasions in the past, only to come back months later. I'll admit I haven't been hacking as much anymore, but I do enjoy just the people here.  We've kind of formed friendships over these years at MetConst.
<Sepharos>: What interests you the most on the forum?
<Phazar>: Well, I do like seeing new members come across the forum and start hacking.  Even now I still offer them advice in their respective threads.  I also quite enjoy the "administration" of the forum.  In quotes, since I'm not actually an admin of course.  But either way, I just like helping run things around here, making MetConst a great place, blah blah blah.  Actually, back to my influence, I was the first one to step up and organize the staff together for a Samus-Aran discussion, and that sort of set the preset for all future "problem members".
<Sepharos>: Have you ever considered making your own forums or site?
<Phazar>: I remember considering it during a Metconst feud/"moment" or two, but for the most part, MetConst is the best hacking community there is. But I am not ruling out a possible site and forum for something in the future. It just depends where things take me.
<Sepharos>: What moved you to join a possible hacking community?
<Phazar>: Originally, I was a speed runner and sequence breaker on M2K2.  One day, I saw inter make a topic about #jzd and hacking, so I decided to follow and learn how to hack. I became a #jzd regular, where I met James, Zeke, and Blood, and the idea of a hacking community the size of M2K2 sounded liek a good diea, with all the tomfoolery that happened in #jzd whenever I was trying to get hack help.

<Sepharos>: Do you specifically hack Super Metroid?
<Phazar>: For the most part, I do now.  But in the beginning I hacked Metroid Fusion first, before switching to Super Metroid for more hacking freedom.  I still do Fusion stuff occasionally, but not as much. Before my forum promotion, I was actually MetConst's Fusion Moderator.
<Sepharos>: What do you enjoy most about hacking?
<Phazar>: I love the fact that you can create completely new things and ideas in hacking.  You don't have to be a big-time developer to make your own games, you can just create your own stuff by building off existing engines.
<Sepharos>: Are there any hacks you're currently watching?
<Phazar>: Well, I've sure been looking at Aegis and Volta since before MetConst's founding.
<Sepharos>: Do you have any hackers you look up to?
<Phazar>: Well, I don't even need to explain how Drewseph was basically the founding father of modern Super Metroid hacking.  But besides that, PJBoy was always high up in my books for what he was trying to do with Fusion, a project I occasionally attempted myself.
<Phazar>: This is the events system we're talking about, of course.
<Sepharos>: What is the main reason for your hacking career?
<Phazar>: At this point, I haven't hacked in a while, although I work on stuff on and off every so often.  Hopefully I will finally release something soon, but as for the reason, I remember years ago running into a lot of girl troubles and problems at school, so I decided to create a life for myself that would somehow mean something.
<Sepharos>: How has your hacking career affected your life outside of hacking?
<Phazar>: I will say my hacking career has given me much guidance and interest regarding technology and programming careers in the future.  I've also run into other forum admins, hackers, and computer builders outside hacking and metConst, and we've been able to talk on the same level more than if I hadn't ever hacked.
<Sepharos>: What do you see in your foreseeable hacking career? Do you think you'll start hacking as frequently as before?
<Phazar>: I do believe that eventually I will get back to hacking that frequently, most likely in a few months when I head off to college.  Usually whenever I've stopped in the past it's been about something happening in real life to take attention away from hacking. I will say I plan to finish Super Mission hopefully befor the end of the year.
<Sepharos>: Joey, do you have any advice to your fellow hackers at Metroid Construction?
<Phazar>: Take on your big hack ideas, and never give up on them.  Motivate yourself.  Always come back, even after a long hiatus.  Remember that you are here with MetConst for a reason, may it be hacking, the people here, or something else. At the end of the day remember that it's not who you are when you start hacking, but what you make of yourself.  Oh, and it never hurts to take the occasional breaks to explore the outside world.  "Real life" is not always the hacker's enemy.
<Sepharos>: Is there anything you'd like to add before we finish?
<Phazar>: I'd like to say that I love the whole community here.  Those who remember my IRC blowups about real life situations in the past, as well as those by other memebers occasionally, probably also remember how supportive a community we really are.  Thanks to some for being there, and thanks to others for troll humor.  Love you all, and go on and make great futures of yourselves!

You heard it here first folks, he truly is greatful for the site and for everybody support. Happy reading!

[Sepharos]

This evening an amazing event took place- an interview with the site famous Squishy Ichigo aka Josh!

<Sepharos> How long have you been a squishy?
<SquishyIchigo>: Hmm, well, that story starts back in my freshman year of highschool, so.. seven years. A girl in a group of anime fans that I had joined named "ichigo house" was in one of my classes, she hugged me, calling me "her squishy" and it stuck. Did I mention I'm not a fan of personal affection? She liked to hug me a lot.

<Sepharos> Tell me about yourself Josh, what is a day in the life of the Squishy?
<SquishyIchigo>: Well, it depends on what time I work. If I open I wake up an hour early, get ready, go to work, then come home and goof off doing nothing in particular. If I don't open, I sleep in, goof off until I go to work, then come home and goof off. I'm really lazy. Unless I'm at work. People call me a workaholic at work.
<Sepharos> How does MetConst effect your daily life?
<SquishyIchigo>: I spend more time with my friends in metconst, then any of my other friends. I'm not the kind of person to call up my friends and be like "hey, wanna hang out?" Nah, they can call me.  Despite the usual annoying antics they do at times, I love being there. They are good people. I try to be a good guy to everybody.
<Sepharos> Has MetConst affected your life in a good way?
<SquishyIchigo>: Hmm.. thats a vauge question indeed. It certainly hasn't effected it a bad way, thats for sure. I enjoy spending my time with these people, even just a nice chat while sipping tea. This one time I was interviewed! It was great!  So yeah, I'd say it's been good. Indeed.
<Sepharos> What is your most memorable moment with the community?
<SquishyIchigo>: heh, I have so many great memories, this might take a minute. Nah, I just have too many, I can't think of one to go with. Everyday is memorable to me!  
<Sepharos> What do you typically do on MetConst?
<SquishyIchigo>: Typically, I just hang out and chat on IRC, but I'm also a Global Mod for the forums and an op on irc. I like having a bit of authority so I can smack around people who don't follow the rules. Rules are nice.... Anywho, I used to hack Super Metroid, but that recently came to a close. I still offer my help to those that need it though. I always say after some one thanks me for helping "thats what I'm here for." I enjoy helping people so long as they aren't help vampires.
<Sepharos> Do you believe the community is growing?
<SquishyIchigo>: The Super Metroid hacking community has been growing pretty well even before Metconst came into existance. I was around for the M2K2 days, and people steadily come and go (those that aren't cut out for it) but everyonce in awhile a gem pops up. I've been in the community for.. three years I think now. Been there since Metconst was a baby. It's nice to see new people join who really have a talent for it. Not so much when twelve year olds do, but you gotta take to good with the bad, ya know? So yes, it's growing steadily.

<Sepharos> Who is your favourite game character?
<SquishyIchigo>: If you'd have asked me that four years ago, I'd have told you more or less the same thing. I'd have instantly replied Sephiroth. Followed up with Link, Samus, Knuckles in no particular order. More recently adding Red (from pokemon) to the mix. I even fantasize about a rock band with these five in it at times. (daydream I guess? I do that kind of thing alot) Seph on Lead Guitar, Link on Vocals (haha), Knuckles plays Bass, Red (who was added later) plays Rythym, and Samus on the drums!  I call it Broken Ashes. The crystal that was shattered and scattered. I plan to write something or do some thing for it eventually...
<Sepharos> What game character would best represent you?
<SquishyIchigo>: I'm an enigma of sorts, thats a tricky question I couldn't answer that.
<Sepharos> For the sake of the interview, you will.
<SquishyIchigo>: But I've already awnsered your question! NEXT!

<Sepharos> Who has the most personality, in your opinion, in MetConst?
<SquishyIchigo>: Define personality! Zhs2 is definately a big figure in our little corner of the world. I'd like to say that I am too, but heh.. Altough James is our "leader" in the sense that he started up Metconst and got the gears moving, Zeke is our front man, always there, doing stuff! Sometimes (ok, alot of the time) this comes out as juvinile things such as penislolol, but HEY! Personality! Definately!  
<Sepharos> Who in the community do you look up to?
<SquishyIchigo>: Again Zhs2. I know I can turn to this guy anytime I need to. I hope that he can to me as well. Anyone actually, I enjoy helping people like I said. Personal problems, hacking problems what have you! But yeah, Zhs2, he's the calm, level headed, fair person that Metconst needs. Awesome guy. I used to (not so much anymore) get into these arguments with the guy about silly little things. Sometimes I'd be right, and he'd cave, but alot of the time he'd be right, and I came to respect that a bit. He's totally stubborn though. I had to use a birckwall back in those days.
<SquishyIchigo>: Hacking wise though Grime- he's the shit. I don't have to explain that one, just go look at Room of the Week stuff. I fell in love with his style since he first joined, and he makes great music!  
<Sepharos> Name a few features the community has that you enjoy?
<SquishyIchigo>: IRC- WOOHOO! I enjoy that we have a centralized place for everyone to show off their current projects and get great feedback. We have alot of really experienced people here that know how things should look and feel and give great advice. I also enjoy the talking about whatever thing we got going on with both irc and off topic board. Before I was a Global Mod, I modded the Off topic board. (well, technically before we made the switch to the current forums we use, I modded the SM board, but I was like "Zeke, frak that noise, gimme offtopic" he totally did after I smashed him with that brickwall!
<Sepharos> Do you enjoy any specific threads on the forums?
<SquishyIchigo>: Room of the Week, Talk of the Day, The Great Metroid Construction Collaboration Hunt, General Projects Screenshots/Vids Thread, all really good threads. I enjoy alot of the lesser ones too but not the ones where twelve year olds show up who don't follow the rules.
<Sepharos> How often do you see new people that don't follow the rules?
<SquishyIchigo>: *sigh* More then I'd like. I wish people would read the rules before doing stuff, then everything would be gravy and biscuits. I especially enjoy the new people that I don't have to get onto.  Even MORE so when they are gems, that given time will take this place and make it shine!
<Sepharos> Do you know any examples of new people who you've transformed into turned into great members?
<SquishyIchigo>: People I've had to get onto that have made a full recovery?
<Sepharos> Indeed. Say DarkSamus or Zozo and I will KILL you.
<SquishyIchigo>: The closest person would have to be GunnarGumpert. This stroy starts out with him asking for help on my youtube channel. I sugget Metconst as its a great place, and I would know, I'm a mod there! So he comes, and crashes so hard that people still give me shit to this day. He comes and starts ripping off Redesign. I don't know if you know this or not, but there is this understanding between the SM hackers and Drewseph (the maker of redesign) that we would not steal his stuff out of respect. But Gunnar comes along not only asking us to rip it FOR him, but to basically make his hack for him. This didn't go over well at all. Flamers popped out of every corner! (literally, Flamestar666 was the worst of them) It was really bad. To the point I was arguing with Zhs2 about his permanent banment, since gunnar was only feeding the fire, (which as you know, is NOT the best way to put OUT a fire) He convinced me otherwise (I think this was the last real argument I've had with zeke) and I gave gunnar another chance. He turned it around abit, but he still feeds the flamers from time to time. A Lot of people still hate the guy today. I still give him a little shit now and then. A note, I wanted to get rid of him because he was tearing the community apart with people who didn't see the big deal, and the haters.
<Sepharos> Is there anything you'd like to change with the community?
<SquishyIchigo>: There's a little too much "penislolol" for my taste, but I've come to accept it more recently. It just wouldn't be the same without it. I'd totally wish that some people would come back to us, I wish I could change their minds about leaving, because those guys where great, even if other people say otherwise. Waker, Bloodsonic, Aile to name a few.
<Sepharos> Has the community taught you anything since your joining?
<SquishyIchigo>: Definitely. I've grown alot personally since joining back in the day, and still learn stuff today. I'm trying to be an even more understanding person, with open eyes and an open heart. It's hard sometimes.  Not to mention the hacking knowledge I've learned! The community has grown SOOO much since Metconst came into being. Knowledge that was limited like asm, has become much more wisespread people push the envelope these days!  

You heard it here first folks! People learn something from even the most obscure sites on the internet!

[Parabox]

The Alot.

[Sepharos]

<Sepharos> Robert, when and why did you first join Metroid Construction?
<Sepharos> Around two years ago, I was in the final testing stages for my Super Mario World hack- Origin Metroid Saga.I was looking for a Metroid hacking community for support, and when I found out there were Metroid hacking programs, I immediately saught the advice of one of their creators. Thus, after tracking somebody who knew Interdpth, I entered JZD and was then shanghai'd into MetConst.
<Sepharos> So where did the username "Sepharos" originate?
<Sepharos> That's a long story but essentially Sepharos is the combination of Sephiroth, Phazon, and Saturos.
<Sepharos> You said you joined the Metroid hacking community for support- would you say you found that support in MetConst.
<Sepharos> Not really, the game had gone somewhat on a haitus before completely dying out upon my arrival, so it was basically rendered useless.
<Sepharos> Do you hack any Metroid games today?
<Sepharos> Another no; honestly, I'm not that interested in hacking anymore, I just stick around for the community and its members.
<Sepharos> How do you contribute to the community without hacks?
<Sepharos> Easy, I interview some key members of the site and post them on the forums for entertainment.
<Sepharos> What was your first opinion of the community?
<Sepharos> Well, Zeke and Interdpth defintely had their disagreements against me, mainly for my lack of sarcasm, but I eventually warmed up to them. Otherwise, I think I got along fairly well with everybody.
<Sepharos> What communities were you a part of prior to joining Metroid Construction?
<Sepharos> SMWCentral, All Is Brawl, Syntax Error, Final Fantasy Forums, just to name a few. I've been a little bit everywhere there is to go.
<Sepharos> What community were you a part of directly before joining Metroid Construction?
<Sepharos> I suppose technically I was part of Neritic-Net, a spin off from SMWCentral, but otherwise I was a loner for a few weeks.

[Lunaria]

This topic just got a bit too meta for me.

[Sepharos]

This is part one of my college interview project.
I'll be interviewing HCBailly and Bikdiponabus from YouTube as well as Kabutroid from Planet Zebeth.


<Robert Maloney> Henri, you're renowned as one of the best RPG Let's Players on YouTube. What would you credit this to?
<Henri Bailly> Honestly, Starting in 2007 really helped, because there were very few LPers for RPGs at the time. I do put a lot of preparation into my LPs. Some people might call it work, but I enjoy fine tuning the whole process.
<Robert Maloney> I understand for preparation you typically use notes. Do you take these notes from your own experience, use other sources, or a mix of the two?
<Henri Bailly> A compilation of everything you mentioned. I use other resources to create my own notes. Walkthroughs can be helpful, but often times are based on an average player's experience without too much analysis, like I do.
<Robert Maloney> Do you compile these notes for future gameplay or strictly just for the LP?
<Henri Bailly> Just the LP.
<Robert Maloney> Is there any time where you've played blind, either because of a lack of notes or simply a lack of information?
<Henri Bailly> Not really.  I'm not a fan of blind LPs.  There's nothing worse than watching someone bumbling around, not knowing what they're doing.
<Robert Maloney> However, though you don't bumble around, you certainly do become more skilled while playing, while also learning new things aboot the gameplay, correct?
<Henri Bailly> Yeah.
<Robert Maloney> Prior to you LP career, you made countless Mario Paint videos. Did any of this experience help motivate you to become an LP'er?
<Henri Bailly> It taught me how to record videos. Having an initial subscriber base of about 500 when I started making LPs helped a lot too.
<Robert Maloney> Did any of the music play a nastalgic role, pushing you to the decision of becoming an LP'er?
<Henri Bailly> I suppose a little, yeah.
<Robert Maloney> What caused your move from Mario Paint to Let's Play?
<Henri Bailly> MPC videos take a very long time to make and don't involve playing games, which is what I really like to do.
<Robert Maloney> Ah, so your move was caused from what you enjoy, and entertaining an added bonus.

<Robert Maloney> I've noticed that you've grown as both an entertainer as well as somebody who can connect with the audience. What, in your opinion, is the cause for this?
<Henri Bailly> Just getting experience over time, I guess.
<Robert Maloney> Now, what would you say your favourite RPG or RPG series is Henri?
<Henri Bailly> Well, besides Final Fantasy. I liked the Soul Blazer trilogy a lot.
<Robert Maloney> Can you contrast your likes between the two?
<Henri Bailly> The Soul Blazer trilogy is just pure, mindless fun, and very silly.  Terranigma is probably one of my favorite games of all time. Yet, they all still tell a deep and epic story.
<Henri Bailly> To me, the Final Fantasy series has the greatest balance between great music, gameplay mechanics, and plot.  Other RPG series may do one or the other better, but really falter on another.
<Henri Bailly> For example, Dragon Quest has incredible battle mechanics, but lack a driving plot to provide the player with direction or motivation.
<Henri Bailly> What I like about both is that they have great music. Music is so important to me in video games.
<Robert Maloney> Especially in Final Fantasy VIII.
<Henri Bailly> That's very accurate. Music can really make an average game great. I'm not a huge fan of FF8, but the music made it great to me.

<Robert Maloney> On the topic of Final Fantasy VIII, based on your wrap up in your LP, would you say it's your least favourite Final Fantasy game?
<Henri Bailly> I'd say FF2-3 are my least favorite. They were still fun but I don't think I would ever play them again. Final Fantasy X is pretty low on my list too.
<Robert Maloney> Can I assume from your finale of Final Fantasy VIII that a reason for your dislike of Final Fantasy II-III was because of the ability to essentially clone characters?
<Henri Bailly> Yeah. The growth system of FF2 makes it my least favorite. I hate "you are what you do" growth systems.

<Robert Maloney> Are there any other genres, besides RPGs, that you enjoy?
<Henri Bailly> I like Adventure type games like Zelda and Metroid, though I haven't played any of the recent games.
<Robert Maloney> So a game that sets you forth with a mission, good music, and good character development is your ideal standard for any game?
<Henri Bailly> That would help. I'm not a fan of open-ended games like Oblivion.
<Robert Maloney> Do you intend to LP every game in the numeric Final Fantasy series?
<Henri Bailly> I'll probably LP Final Fantasy X.  I don't know about 12, but maybe. Obviously, I can't LP the MMOs.
<Robert Maloney> Can one assume that you did not enjoy the battle mechanics of XII?
<Henri Bailly> I didn't really get far enough to form an opinion on that. The plot just seemed to lack direction to me.

<Robert Maloney> Outside of the numeric series, would you ever consider LP'ing any of the Ivalician (Tactics) or Crystal Chronicles series?
<Henri Bailly> Probably not
<Robert Maloney> What would be your primary reason for your decision?
<Henri Bailly> I've got other series that I'm interested in, like Breath of Fire. Disgaea.

<Robert Maloney> Back to the topic of your LP career. Would you say the purpose of your LP's is to entertain, help walkthrough, help inform, or a combination?
<Henri Bailly> I try to commentate as a walkthrough first, entertainment second. My general goal is to create a comunity for people to have fun. My videos are designed to help people have fun, either from playing or watching.
<Robert Maloney> Does your LP career ever effect your personal life?
<Henri Bailly> No, I never let gaming take over my life.
<Robert Maloney> Did you ever expect to become as popular as you have?
<Henri Bailly> No, not at all. This is just a hobby for me.
<Robert Maloney> In the midst of your LP career, is there anybody you look up to?
<Henri Bailly> There's a lot of people. Deceased Crab was my greatest inspiration. The Angry Video Game Nerd, Nostalgia Critic, Proton Jon, UltraJMan were also some influences.
<Robert Maloney> Is there anything that can annoy you, either from one of your past LP's or somebody elses LP?
<Henri Bailly> Not specifically.
<Robert Maloney> Is there anything you'd like to change on your past LP's?
<Henri Bailly> I'd like to have been more upbeat at the time. I know I want to redo my FF4 LP.

[Hiroshi Mishima]

When you say Kabutroid, does this mean you managed to get in contact with him? Or is it still pie in the sky? I only ask cause he seems fairly busy as of late (when isn't he, though?), so I wasn't sure if you'd gotten him to sit down for one yet.

[Quietus]

I presumed that the 'Community' meant the Metroid editing community, yet I've never heard of any of those people either here or on m2k2 before that.  Are there other sites for serious Super Metroid hacking that I should be checking?

[Hiroshi Mishima]

HCBailey does Let's Play videos on YouTube. They're pretty good, I've watched some of them. I don't know the other name... but Kabutroid is responsible for Planet Zebeth, arguably the first and longest running Metroid sprite comic.

I'm not sure why he felt inclined to include the interviews not related to Metroid hacking, however. Let alone people who aren't related to the site.

[Zhs2]

I presumed that the 'Community' meant the Metroid editing community.

It is the EVERY community project! PHEAR

[Sepharos]

I presumed that the 'Community' meant the Metroid editing community, yet I've never heard of any of those people either here or on m2k2 before that.  Are there other sites for serious Super Metroid hacking that I should be checking?

These interviews are part of my college journalism project, so why not include them?

[Quietus]

There is no reason not to.  I was merely commenting on the fact that this topic being on a Metroid editing / hacking site led me to think that it would be hackers, and you suddenly dropped a load of (seemingly) random names on me. :heheh:

[Sepharos]

<Sepharos> Ezekiel, since our last interview, a lot has evolved in the community. What would you say has improved with the community?
<Zeke> Hmmm. I am not exactly sure if you can say anything has improved, but I've never been much to notice change a lot. If anything, we've gained a few people, we've gotten a few bad people to leave, we're just Metconst.
<Sepharos> Well, could you say if there's been any progress in the hacking scene?
<Zeke> There's discoveries happening every day, heh. Progress isn't always few and far between, but I'm sure people find new stuff and put it up on the boards regularly enough that we'll have Super Metroid cracked in the next 10 years.
<Sepharos> Literally ten years?
<Zeke> Fifteen sounded too long. Nah, I'm just fraking. I bet we'll make a lot of good shit in ten years and have a fully completed ROM map or something and maybe a music inserter if we can get a programmer on that shit.
<Sepharos> So you believe that the hackers of the community, pulled together, can completely map out a game made by professionals?
<Zeke> Devolving into Super Mario World difficulty sounds kinda disappointing, though. Maybe we'll never get that good on purpose. Just to cite the Super Mario World example again, do you believe they haven't completely cracked it to the point of embarrassment yet? Of course I believe we can do that. I just don't know if we really want to, for posterity's sake. Think of all the garbage hacks people will make!
<Sepharos> What features do you expect to be unlocked in the future for Super Metroid? Multiplayer? New abilities and music?
<Zeke> Ahahahaha at multiplayer. Definitely possible, as Jathys has worked on it somewhat, but that would mean quite a bit more legwork in the field to get working correctly. As for abilities and music, people have done and are working on it as we speak already. I suspect we'll get quite a few more block types, glow expansions, FX1 expansions, and etcetera as well as we keep moving.

<Sepharos> Do you believe Metroid Construction will continue growing, based on the past year?
<Zeke> There's always more people who have not yet been exposed to the Metroid Construction community. They just don't know what they're missing.
<Sepharos> What do you believe could possibly attract more members to the community?
<Zeke> Either good publicity or word of mouth. The latter tends to spread faster and be more effective, and the former is probably something we're not going to campaign with.
<Sepharos> What interests you the most in the community?
<Zeke> Probably not a whole lot, aside from the fact that the people who talk on IRC are a colorful bunch. I like livestreaming people's hacks if they offer as well, even if I might be somewhat terrible (Sadiztyk compared me to Axiel while I was playing a really old hack by DSO the other day, to say nothing of the half-second input lag and the fact that some of the rooms in the hack were just terrible. Honestly.) I turn into the guy I really hate when it comes to LPs, and that's the LPer. Apparently everyone else likes it when a dude is talking while trying to play a game.
<Sepharos> What do you see in your forseeable future with Metroid Construction?
<Zeke> Moving hosting. In probably less than a month from now we'll be switching to InMotion Hosting in order to compensate for the large amount of community bitching and some of the downtime we've been having with Metroid Construction lately. Hopefully we're looking to bump the uptime numbers to guaranteed, although I can understand when someone has a power outage. Just saiyan.

<Sepharos> Outside of hacking, what do you believe to be some of the features the community enjoys?
<Zeke> Messing with Hatchling, picking on DarkSamus, posting about how the Wii doesn't have a solid lineup, you know, the usual. Nah, I'm fraking again. I'd believe one of the bigger things some of the members enjoy is my minecraft server, which has been up for about six months and if not that, it's the hacks from the Japanese dudes or the dreaded old hacks drudged up from people's hard drives.  Overall, I'd think it's what everyone else enjoys as well as I do: All of the cool people on the IRC who are fun to talk to and share info with. Pleasant attitudes make the community go 'round!
<Sepharos> What forms of entertainment can be found in the community?
<Zeke> Probably the aforementioned above hacks, the trolling on IRC (It's funny when everyone can realize that you're obviously joking about something, and it's even funnier to see the clueless people react to things like "Who the frak is Samus? His name is Metroid, that's what it says on the box") and whatever other fun distractions we can amuse ourselves with. For two to three months it was crab battling!

<Sepharos> Have you been plagued by more journalists in the past year?
<Zeke> Apparently not. You're the only guy who knows and finds Metroid Construction to be as interesting as ever, as well as haggle for interviews with the members. Like I said earlier, they're probably out there, they just don't know what they're missing!
<Sepharos> Do you find the interviews as a point of interest to the community?
<Zeke> Usually people don't care about other people's points of view, and I don't blame them, even though this causes a lot of strife (People will probably never learn.) It isn't until natural human curiosity kicks in, as well as a feeling of worth, to determine exactly how another person's mind works. Interviews condense the stuff into easy reading material for everyone else.  
<Sepharos> Does it work as an entertainment portal for the community?
<Zeke> To quote squishy, "It's nice to get other people's view points from time to time!" (Paraphrased, of course. Too lazy to look it up.) I'll bet they're even fun to read when you have no clue who Sepharos is interviewing! I still have yet to read HCBailly's >.>
<Sepharos> Are there any people/members you're interested in being interviewed?
<Zeke> When is DarkSamus gonna get interviewed? I wanna see that guy's point of view. More seriously, how about SadiztykFish and crashtour, or maybe even FullofFail? Drewseph, Eppy, KP9000, there's quite a few interesting people still to be had. Oh yeah, and snarfblam. That guy's cool.

<Sepharos> What is your opinion on Bloodsonic's leaving of the community?
<Zeke> Honestly, he hasn't really left. He's just on an extended vacation and decides to pop in from time to time for probably less than scrupulous input.
<Sepharos> From his own words, he says that he doesn't plan on returning to the community. Can you elaborate on his decision?
<Zeke> That's what he says. He might not be moderating the community anymore, and he might not talk to a lot of people (some of them offended him I guess like Green-Kirby or something, I dunno,) but he considers #metconst trolling grounds.  I guess it was too stressful or something, or he just got tired of it? Joining to pick on people when Project has a really good troll going is probably my fault. I always let him know when shit is hilarious and he decides to jump on it from there. As for posting on the forum, I'm all like "Man, look at this post" and he's like "You dumb shit nigger, thanks for linking me to this, now I have to find out how to ruin your day" Sometimes he does, and it's usually funny. Yeah, it's my fault.

<Sepharos> Do you have any advice for the community as well as hackers?
<Zeke> Hmm, I have a few things to say. One of them is, if someone is trolling (or otherwise being really dumb,) and you don't get the joke, don't get offended. Just ignore them. Hell, even playing along is better than nothing, but if you feel any anger coming on, simply don't say anything. To coin a phrase, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it!" Another thing is that if you are fourteen years old and just budding in the community, please lurk a bit more. Being a DarkSamus isn't all that bad, unless you're longer-than-six-months-ago DarkSamus Who Posted Garbage Mostly Like This And Didn't Lurk Moar. We love to see it when you inform yourself first as well as possible then ask questions if you're really unsure and read the interviews. You may learn something about the community and its members from there.
<Sepharos> Lastly, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans and/or admirers?  
<Zeke> For something to my fans and admirers, I'd say keep on doing what you do, and keep being good at it. It's the Tire Iron way!

[Sepharos]

<Sepharos> David, how did you first discover the community of Metroid Construction?
<ProjectXVIII> Well, Drewseph was doing a run of his hack Redesign on Livestream. Bloodsonic was there, and decided to invite me to #metconst. I didn't make a forum profile until much later, a few months.
<Sepharos> What first introduced you to the hacking scene?
<ProjectXVIII> Coincedentally, Drewseph's hack. I found it, and wanted to know what created it. Found SMILE, and thus, I became a hacker.

<Sepharos> BONUS TRIVIA QUESTION!! What is the first item/ability you attain from a boss in Metroid Zero Mission?
<ProjectXVIII> Woohoo! ... Define "boss."
<Sepharos> An abnormally large enemy, typically with unique abilities and attacks, With its own music seperate from the terrain.
<ProjectXVIII> Charge Beam from that really freaky worm thing. You know the one.

<Sepharos> What did you enjoy the most on your first few days as a member?
<ProjectXVIII> Hm.. I'd have to say getting kicked. Back then I would rage hard at getting kicked because I didn't have auto-rejoin. Looking back on it, it was hilarious.
<Sepharos> What do you enjoy most about the site today and more recently?
<ProjectXVIII> As if you even have to ask. The trolling. The forum, however, I like how far SM hacking has come, and how much new stuff is released each month.
<Sepharos> How do you feel about the current direction of the site?
<ProjectXVIII> Hm, the current direction? In what sense? With it gaining popularity, moving from FazeWire?
<Sepharos> Do you believe we're heading in the right direction for our members and community growth?
<ProjectXVIII> I'd say yes. The noobs are getting better, and we're getting more good hackers coming in (and shitty hackers, but they'll get better).
<Sepharos> On that note, David, do you have any advice to the new members of the site?
<ProjectXVIII> Stop being so easy to troll. Also, don't release the first hack you make. Make a few rooms, and redo them. Rinse repeat. I've yet to release a hack and I'd say I'm above average at hacking.
<Sepharos> In one word, describe what the site community means to you and elaborate on your answer.
<ProjectXVIII> In one word you say? Hm.. My home away from home.
<ProjectXVIII> (I told you I would troll. )
<Sepharos> (You fail at trolling. Journalists can't be trolled. We are the trollers, hence the interview.)
<ProjectXVIII> But yeah, #metconst is kinda like my chill spot for when I'm not doing anything else, which is 90% of the time.
<Sepharos> What do you believes Metroid Construction a unique community?
<ProjectXVIII> What do I think makes it unique? We're based mainly on hacking. Most of the MetConst oldfags chilled on M2k2, which was really more about speedrunning and sequence breaking. We broke off, and are mainly about hacking.

<Sepharos> Do you hack any Metroid games yourself or do you leave that to others?
<ProjectXVIII> I do indeed. I hack Super Metroid, mainly level design. I can't be bothered to learn ASM. I've tried my hand at graphic editing, and that really doesn't work for me. Let's just say the word "Pillow Shading" is an understatement.
<Sepharos> Are there any projects in the making that the community can look forward to?
<ProjectXVIII> Right now, I've got a hack that's being (very slowly) worked on called Super Metroid: Equilibrium. Not really sure if anybody is "looking forward to it," but i'm sure a few people may be. It's definitely no Aegis.
<Sepharos> Are there any details of the gameplay you could share with the readers?
<ProjectXVIII> Let's just say the gameplay will be very focused on speed and the flow of the game. There are many places where you'll have to use speed to outrun lava/acid and such. I'm pretty much going to use all of the keeping speed hex tweaks.
<Sepharos> Is this a single man project or is there a secret team behind it?
<ProjectXVIII> Single man, definitely. I'm not good with teams. Also definitely not motivated enough to be reliable on a team.
<Sepharos> Have you ever considered making an extravagant hack with a team?
<ProjectXVIII> I'd definitely make a collaboration hack with some other MetConstians if it had potential. The problem is most collab hacks don't have potential or they die.
<Sepharos> Are there any hacks in the works that you're currently interested in?
<ProjectXVIII> SadiztykFish's hacks (or hacks, if she's even working on Impulsion any more), Aegis of course, and probably a few others. Those are the main ones though. Predator and Bounty on Rhizon, as well (Black_Falcon and crashtour's hacks, respectively).
<Sepharos> Have you ever hacked any other games outside of the Metroid series?
<ProjectXVIII> I have. I did a little bit of Super Mario World hacking and tried some Link to the Past hacking. Also, I guess you could say I did some M1 hacking- even if it was messing with the tiles in a single room.
<Sepharos> Did you ever have any released projects involving those games?
<ProjectXVIII> I've never had any released projects, period. Except one.. but we don't need to talk about that one.. ever. EVER.
<Sepharos> Describe your frame of mind while hacking? What ideas go through your head?
<ProjectXVIII> Pretty much just "Am I using the same tile 4 times in a row?" That's why my terrain looks pretty natural, and why i'm not good at mechanical/industrial level design. I usually try to go for a dark look, as well.
<Sepharos> Who would you say is your role model for hacking? Why?
<ProjectXVIII> Grime and Sadi, probably. I like both of their palettes and level design. Such as Sadi's layering and Grime's "ohmygodsomuchdetail!"

<Sepharos> Would you say gaming and hacking are your primary hobbies? If yes, why?
<ProjectXVIII> I'd say yes, because i've played games since I was probably five years old. It's just something i've been good at. Then I got good at making my own.
<Sepharos> What other hobbies, outside of gaming and hacking, do you enjoy?
<ProjectXVIII> Drawing, mainly. I've drawn up some concept art for enemies to put in SM, but, i'm not too good at pixel art, so that'll have to wait for a while.  
<Sepharos> Have you ever considered becoming a game designer or something related in the field?
<ProjectXVIII> I have, i'm actually taking classes next year for game design, and currently learning a little bit of C. Not to mention I was making some weapons in Doom just prior to this interview. As such, we have things M2k2 doesn't have, like a lot of the patches/hex tweaks on the main site.
<Sepharos> Do you have any closing advice to aspiring hackers?
<ProjectXVIII> I'd say just make your level design more natural (especially when using Tilesets 1 and 2) and mess around with palettes a bit before showing pics. Nobody likes bleeding from their eyes.

[Sepharos]

<Robert Maloney> Would you say your lack of an upbeat spirit in the beginning of your LP career was caused by being a new LP'er?
<Henri Bailly> To an extent, yes. I was also looking for a new hobby after quitting Magic: The Gathering, so I was also a little out of it at the time.
<Robert Maloney> What is the most rewarding aspect of being an LP'er?
<Henri Bailly> It creates an avenue of social activity that I did not have before. Plus, I don't have to travel for it, unlike Magic: The Gathering.
<Robert Maloney> Is there any advice you have for aspiring LP'ers?
<Henri Bailly> Just have fun and don't worry about how many subscribers you have.
<Robert Maloney> What is your best memory of your LP career?
<Henri Bailly> Probably Illusion of Gaia. That was just the perfect game to LP. No editing. Just record and go. The plot was so ridiculous, it was easy to poke fun at too.
<Robert Maloney> Does being an LP'er ever bore you or do you ever think of quitting?
<Henri Bailly> Not at all. In fact, making LPs motivates me even more to play games.
<Robert Maloney> What motivates you to continue being an LP'er?
<Henri Bailly> I enjoy dissecting a game and learning new things about it, then sharing it on YouTube. Without that outlet, I wouldn't be as motivated to do so for a game.

<Robert Maloney> Would you ever like to design your own RPG or video game, outside of hacking?
<Henri Bailly> Probably not. It sounds like a lot of work.
<Robert Maloney> Have you ever played a hack of an RPG, and if so, what was your opinion on its gameplay?
<Henri Bailly> I've played fan translations, but not a full-fledge hack. I'm not really interested in that sort of thing.
<Robert Maloney> Have you ever considered becoming a game designer or something close in the field?
<Henri Bailly> Maybe a beta tester, which I've done in the past, but nothing like a real job. One thing that I learned from my career in Magic: The Gathering is that I don't want to turn my hobby into a job.
<Robert Maloney> What's your favourite video game of all times? Why?
<Henri Bailly> Final Fantasy 4, with Chrono Trigger in a close second. They are so well balanced between the graphical presentation, the music, the plot, and the battle mechanics. I think what separates them from almost every other RPG I've played is that there is no letdown in the game. The plot is continuously interesting and never drags.
<Robert Maloney> What is your opinion on the current direcion of the Final Fantasy series is going? Would you say it's good, bad, or indefferent? Why?
<Henri Bailly> I think going in a different direction from Uematsu is definitely a step in the wrong direction, but I suppose he can't do this forever. The new composer had some good tracks, but the overall soundtrack was more designed for atmosphere and ambience, which I don't like in jRPGs. The graphics and battle mechanics are definitely heading in the right direction. I'm not a huge fan of how their plots have been written since Final Fantasy X.

<Robert Maloney> Besides gaming, what other hobbies do you enjoy?
<Henri Bailly> I enjoy working out and watching football/basketball/baseball, though I don't know if you'd call them hobbies. Gaming takes up the vast majority of my free time.
<Robert Maloney> How have your hobbies influenced you as a person?
<Henri Bailly> They caused me to develop my life around them. As a result, I'm successful enough in my work that I don't have to work very many hours, leaving more time for gaming.

<Robert Maloney> Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans or the LP community?
<Henri Bailly> Have fun and have a good day.

[advancedpillow]

Cool. Pretty softball questions, but interesting nevertheless. Thanks for taking the time to post that.